


God-Killers and the gods they kill

by Day_dreaming



Category: Wonder Woman (2017), Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, The major character death is steve so, Winter Soldier AU, also all winter soldier baggage and the torture that goes with, its not too graphic tho (for now at least), why are there no tags for my boys?????
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2018-11-13 04:49:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 35,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11177382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Day_dreaming/pseuds/Day_dreaming
Summary: He woke up burning and alone. Those first few months were terrifying, no name or way of knowing if there was any other life like him. The air stung his lungs, and no matter where he went, he always ended up in the same place. A little village, or what once was one he supposed, filled with broken down cobblestone buildings and bell tower that never chimed.orThe one where Ares refused to die so easily and Steve Trevor is robbed of an afterlife.





	1. The Ugliness of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Ares has a trick up his sleeve, Diana does not meet the requirements, and Steve Trevor gets caught in the middle.

Gods cannot die.

Not in the way humans do at least. Hades, though one of the most powerful, cannot ever contain another god in his realm. Gods fade. They fade in human memory and power; becoming weak and unable to interact with mankind as they once did. Losing the fear and respect their creations once had for them, they never truly regain that power.

When Ares fought and defeated the gods, his father and all of his weak relatives, he knew deep down, under all of his pride and rage, it was not because of his own strength. Allowing mankind to feel more than love and passion, he allowed himself to find purpose. Human war strengthened him, breathing new life into his very being. The screams of the conquered, the cries of the helpless, they were as intoxicating as they were sickening. These sniveling, mortal creatures with their ugly hatred and savage violence reminded Ares of the gods themselves. They stained the earth with blood, and blamed the gods for their own stupidity. 

They begged Ares to end their wars; begged him to stop inciting them as if he had anything to do with them. The other gods, one’s praised for love and prosperity, watched on blindly as their worshipers destroyed each other. Ares tried to get them to see the truth about mankind; he showed them atrocity after atrocity, and yet his father and his followers refused to believe that man was anything but good.

Eventually, he began whispering into human ears instead; whispering that mankind was a mistake. He allowed them to act on their hatred, to form kingdoms and alliances to grow their anger and jealousy. Mankind went to war with itself, and the gods intervened. Zeus created a warrior race to bring peace to the earth, but it was too late. Mankind had already become too strong, and fed into Ares’ own well of power and hatred.

He struck the gods down where they stood, lofty and indifferent towards mankind’s evil actions. The overwhelming bloodshed thrummed in his bones and the cries of war victims surged through his veins, as he destroyed what little family he had. His final blow, a lightning strike to his father’s chest, came from human war and suffering. With his dying breath his father hid away his warrior race, and still refused to acknowledge that humans were anything but good.

Ares would never admit it, but he owed everything he had, all of his power and strength, to the very creatures he despised.

\--

Ares could not die.

He would not allow himself to fade into nothingness, to become a faint memory or a footnote in a human textbook. For all of his bravado, Ares always had a second and third plan. War was an unpredictable element, born of chaos and loathing, and never could a victor be predicted until the very end.

The armistice was Ares’ ace in the hole. He knew that even if this War ended, another would rise to take its place. He felt it in his bones, in the way the earth shook as bombs and gas ravaged it. Something much worse was coming, and it would power him like that very first war. The armistice would incite poverty and shift blame on an absolute loser, bringing about the next generation of hate and injustice. Diana may defeat him, but his power would not wane. The spread of war would reach him in even the depths of Tartarus and bring him the power he needs to break free. 

He could see the human emotion on her face as that gas chamber of a plane exploded and, along with it, her Captain Steve Trevor. A scream ripped from her throat, a deep, guttural sound he had only heard from mortals, as she broke free from her bindings. Diana turned to destroy the humans, Germans, around her. Ares watched as his sister’s anger consumed her, a smile gracing his face. Finally, Diana realized what humans really are; she understood that nothing that needlessly destroys innocent lives could be permitted to live and grow.

She knew that humans were weak, and evil, and ugly.

Dr. Maru trembled in front of Diana’s wrath; she was the one who ended dear Captain Trevor’s and millions of others’ lives. A prime example of humanity, a deformed mess of a woman who only sought to kill, and Diana had every right to destroy her. Yet Diana, like war, surprised him. She did not avenge her Captain nor did she take Ares’ hand after seeing humanity at its worst. She defied his every expectation.

She fought him. Matching him blow for blow, and eventually, harnessing her own electricity. Diana spouted out something about love being stronger than hate as she gained the upper hand. Looking Ares in the eyes, she strode towards him. In that moment he knew, he would lose this battle. Diana whispered goodbye and struck him with the same blow he used to kill their father eons ago.

The very second before Hades reached up to drag him to Tartarus, Ares saw Diana’s love. He saw her passion and faith in humanity even after witnessing this War up close. In her eyes he saw her love for mankind and her Captain. Her strength came from love, how laughable. To put your strength in something so mortal was such a naïve mistake. Her Captain’s life was over in an instant, but that instant granted her so much power. Ares’ armistice would still go through, and his power would return, but Captain Trevor’s sacrifice would live as long as Diana herself. What would happen if her love’s strength was turned against her?

So, with Ares’ dying breath, he stole Steve Trevor from Elysium and made his own God-Killer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i wanted diana to get her boyfriend back and what better way than to do it the old steve rogers way? this'll probably be a bit different than the winter soldier but i'm hoping u still like it!
> 
> leave me a comment and tell me what you think! ;^>


	2. The Piano Room and the Search for Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Steve Trevor really is dead, its just his body that didn't catch the memo

He woke up burning and alone. Those first few months were terrifying, no name or way of knowing if there was any other life like him. The air stung his lungs, and no matter where he went, he always ended up in the same place. A little village, or what once was one he supposed, filled with broken down cobblestone buildings and bell tower that never chimed. 

His existence was maddening isolation, filled with gentle snowfalls and an orange-tinted atmosphere. The days repeated each other, and more than once he wondered if his existence was real. It would begin with the earth rumbling under him, crying out for something, or someone, and end with a blast of burning air that never failed to make him hack and cough. The evenings, however, provided him with a distraction, the faint sound of music would carry through the village during the snowfall. It would fade in and out of his mind, but if he stayed still and held his breath long enough, he could make out a tinny voice and nimble fingers on a piano.

The voice, all clipped words and deep vowels, filled him with such longing. He wanted to hear the song correctly, and thank the voice for breaking up his days. Yet no matter where he followed the music, he never caught sight of the voice or understood a word of it. Trying to hear the music, he wandered into one of the demolished buildings, and found a piano. There was shattered glass scattered around it, and overturned chairs throughout the building. He figured that even if he couldn’t hear the music any clearer by it, he could sit there and pretend. The Piano Room became his favorite place after that. When the earth stopped crying, and before the sky exploded into painful, painful orange, he would sit next to the piano and listen.

In the beginning, he would count the days. He would tick off how many times the piano played on the scorched walls, and how long it takes for the orange pain to leave his lungs. Constantly checking his wrist for some reason. It was muscle memory, from Before—before waking up and before the cycle— he could never explain why and if he thought too long about it the back of his eyes would pound and black spot would fill his vision.

When he first brought his wrist up to his face and pulled up the tattered remains of his sleeve and saw that nothing was there, he froze because something was wrong. Panic rushed through him, he pushed the other sleeve back and found that no, It was not there. His mind screeched at him to find It, whatever It was. He started to shake, frantically running around the village to find what was supposed to be on his wrist. His head began to throb, and no matter how hard he tried he could not remember what was supposed to be with him. After circling the village and rummaging through the empty houses for a long while, something told him to stop. It told him to stop and go listen to the music.

And so he did.

The Piano Room was his favorite because, though never hearing the song correctly filled him with such anger, the music calmed him. His heart’s frantic beating and the panic curled in the pit on his stomach faded away the moment the first few notes were heard. His hands stopped trembling and when he closed his eyes he could almost forget hysteria he felt about losing It. The far off voice crackled to life and he fell asleep to it low murmuring melody.

Before he fell completely asleep that same something spoke again, whispering that he was searching for Time.

\--

The gas came at the end of each cycle. It whistled through the air and crashed in the same spot. The orange pain, gas his mind supplied, flooded the village and sent fire down his throat. The first time the capsule fell from the sky he screamed. He screamed as the air turned orange and burned his eyes, and he kept screaming until he could do nothing but let out whooping coughs. The air sapped him of his energy, leaving him empty and in pain, then sparked on his clothes and burnt his skin. The pain would eventually end and the crater the capsule made would disappear along with the terrifying orange gas.

He tried to hide the first time few times the cycle repeated itself. He hid in one of the less broken down houses, one with a room with a door and only one window. The gas found him though. It always, always found him; no matter where he hid, the Piano Room, the bell tower, the trenches behind the city, it followed him and seared his throat and stung any exposed flesh he had leaving behind angry red burns. 

One day, long after he had stopped running from the gas and accepted it as part of his life, it stopped. The whistle still pierced his ears and the crater still formed but there was no orange tint to the air. He opened his eyes and slowly stood up from where he was sitting next to the piano. Glass crunched under his feet as he peered out the shattered front window of the Piano Room, the nightly snow was falling, but in the distance he could almost make out a figure. That was impossible though seeing as he was the only living being in his village.

Wasn’t it?

The figure was tall and looked to be wearing armor made of blazing coals and a helmet with two sharp horn coming out the sides. It scanned the area then turned towards him, gazing at him like a predator looks at its next meal. It stepped out of the crater keeping their eyes locked on each other, even if he couldn’t quite see the figure’s eyes, he felt their intensity. Then it turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

A pit formed in his stomach, cold and seeping into his heart, the figure was leaving. This was the first being he’d seen in all his time living in his village, he couldn’t just let it walk away forever. He scrambled out of the window, ducking under the jagged glass that was still embedded in the frame, and called out, “H-hey! Wait!” his voice was scratchy from lack of use and barely reached the figure. 

It stopped and turned, waiting for him to catch up. “Who are you? H-how did you, uh, get here?” he stuttered, his hands were shaking and he wanted to reach out and touch the figure, to assure himself that it was, indeed, real and he wasn’t just going insane from loneliness, but something told him that would be a very bad idea. The figure looked down at him, and seeing its cold, blue eyes, unease replaced the panic in his gut.

“Who am I? You, dear boy, may call me War. As for how, let’s just say that I made this place.” the figure—War—replied. His gloved hand landed on his shoulder, it smoldered the fabric, leaving black hand-shaped scorch marks there. “I can see the questions in your eyes, boy, and the answer is yes, I put you here and, yes, you have a purpose. You are going to help me reclaim the earth from some very despicable creatures. They’re the ones who destroyed this village and created that horrible orange gas, you know.” He didn’t understand. How could he help stop the gas makers? He didn’t even know his own name. War cut his thoughts off, “Ah, you want to know your name, right? Well from now on you will be known only as the Captain and you will be my God-Killer.”

“A God-Killer? What, what does that even mean?” the Captain looked into War’s eyes again and this time the unease spread through his entire being. Those were not the eyes of someone like him, whatever the Captain was, they were callous and uncaring and entirely too knowing. “How can I help you? I-I don’t know where we are, or-or even know what I am!” the Captain waved his arms towards his village, taking a step back once he saw the look in War’s eyes.

“Being a God-Killer means that you will be what I want you to be, and do what I want you to do.” War’s voice was filled with barely concealed rage. He towered above the Captain, grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and whispered darkly, “Now the first lesson you are going to learn is to never question me.”

The Captain learned to never question War very quickly after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey you guys i got some super nice comments on the last chapter so heres the next one!!! were gonna get some Diana next chapter and some more winter god-killer too!! 
> 
> leave me comment and tell me what you think cause as you can see they fuel me!! <3


	3. For World Peace or Peace of Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Diana mourns, battles evil, and mourns some more, but never dances.

Veld was never rebuilt. The whole of mankind needed time to recover from their Great War, and when the earth finally began to scar over the tragedy of Veld was a distant memory. The survivors, the ones who managed to escape their town the moment German forces set their sights on it, wanted nothing to do with the bloody remains. Veld left the world’s collective mind, only brought up as reminder of the carnage brought on by Ludendorff and his people.

Diana carried Veld with her. She remembered the town and its music and people; she remembered the way Charlie sang after they liberated it, and most of all she remembered learning to dance. Diana still stood by the fact that mankind did not know how to dance. All they did was sway to soft music, there were no horses or swords or any of the _oomph_ that the Amazons danced with.

She realized now though, that mankind dances for an entirely different reason. While Amazons danced to remember, remember the gods and the fallen, mankind dance to create memories. They swayed closely and intimately to see their partners up close and feel their heat (not unlike how the Amazons viewed sparring as something to be cherished). Diana saw how human couples, young and old, memorized the curve of each other’s faces and looked at on with such love and passion. At every gala and celebration Diana felt in her bones that _this_ is what humans were created for.

Diana could not dance those first few years.

After the Great War, after Ares and Veld and Steve, Diana could not bear to dance. Every time she tried her mind fell back to that night in Veld where another man was holding her, one with such beautiful blue eyes that looked at her like she was an angel. He would smile at her with such love and murmur about breakfast and the newspaper and all the other he would never get to enjoy again. She would see Ares, in all of his rage, forcing her to helplessly watch as a plane exploded and left a gaping hole in her heart. Diana would end up running from the ballroom and trembling in a hallway, a hand clapped over her mouth to stop her sobs from reaching the other guests.

Charlie always found her when she was trapped in her own memories. Sitting next to her on the cold floor, he would rub her back and croon out a soft melody, and in rare quiet moments, when nobody was around, he would mutter about idiotic heroics and other ghosts following them. Eventually, Diana would gather herself, wipe her tears, and head back into the party. Sameer would greet her like she hadn’t been gone for over an hour, and introduce her to a group of people he was in the middle of charming. Etta would chatter on about the food and fashion and all the going-ons of the new peaceful world they lived in, and Charlie would down another drink with glassy eyes. 

The Chief was the only one who acknowledged her absence, and even then all he did was smile sadly at her and tap his wrist.

The watch, Steve’s watch, was one of the only things that grounded her. If her friends—family—wasn’t around to snap her out of the War, then the watch did. Its constant ticking tethered her to reality, and reminded her why she was still with mankind. She stayed because the armistice went through and anything Ares made could not be good, because Diana saw the pain and sorrow of the world she was now a part of and sought to ease even a small portion of it.

She stayed because, if anything, she had more time than she needed.

\--

Years past and Diana learned the ins and outs of human society. She watched as the Great War, the War to end all Wars, became the prequel of one even bloodier, filled with carnage and innumerable causalities. She saw starvation in the streets and children sent to their deaths, innocent people murdered in cold blood because of the way they were born. Diana witnessed the world lose its color and its people become callous towards the suffering of others. There was no mission this time, Ares was dead and never coming back, yet she could not stay away from the front lines. Etta begged her not to leave her just as her son had, begged her to stay safe and away from harm, but Diana knew she was meant to bring peace to the world just as her mother did before her. 

Her team, Charlie, Sammy, and the Chief, followed her into battle. They were all older now, turned away from this new war on accounts of age or race, but sneaked onto the boat with her to France regardless of what their superiors said. They trekked behind battalions, fought their way into those horrifying camps, and liberated the weak and misused prisoners. Her family brought hope and freedom to Europe once more.

Diana witnessed the ugliness of the world again and again, but never once faltered in her journey. She saw the atrocities of both sides of the war, the lengths they went to secure victory, and knew that she could never be a part of either side. Not this time. Diana had no Ares to fight, there was no way for her to end this Second World War with a single blow, so she fought to keep mankind from destroying itself. 

All throughout her battles two things remained constant, the watch’s weight on her person (to remind her of the goodness of mankind) and the scars the Wars had left (to remind her of the humanity she had gained from her team and Steve). Diana did not physically scar easily, her body could take blow upon blow before a bruise ever showed up, a gift from her father most likely. Her mind though, was an entirely different matter. She was haunted by the faces of every prisoner she could not save, of the men who lost life and limb around her. She saw them in her dreams and in every uniform she passed on the streets.

Diana may fight for world peace, but her mind rarely achieved it.

\--

Living in the new century, Diana was entirely alone. Her team grew old and sick around her, their years of war and gas stunted lungs catching up to them; she watched each and every one of them leave her. She was not bitter towards them for succumbing to time, or finally reaching true peace. Diana knew that Elysium would greet them, she felt it in her bones that all of their earthly burdens were lifted, and Diana could feel nothing but joy for her family.

Diana was old herself; on Themyscira she hoped for a war, for a way to prove herself as a true Amazon, and was nothing more than a child. Diana was blind to the moral grayness of mankind, did not understand that sometimes people are just people. Now though, she knew the truth about Zeus’ creations. She saw the faults of man and knew the tells of war, but she refused to become cold and uncaring towards the deaths on innocents. To let the world carry on as it had the years before she took up her mission to protect the whole of mankind would dishonor the legacy of her fallen comrades. She stopped megalomaniacs and rising dictators, rebuilt war torn towns and destroyed weapon facilities. She honored Steve and her entire team of wounded warriors with every breath she took.

Diana knew the earth did not deserve her. Her closest friends left her to find a greater peace, and history repeated itself over and over and over again, but she had learned that it was not about deserving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guysssss i saw WW again and i gotta say just as good the third time as the first also i had a Really tough time with this chapter buuuuuut i live for dat Validation so ur comments kept me going!! we've finished the sorta prologue type chapters so get ready for the juicy bits soon lol 
> 
> if u want a punch in the feels listen to [this](http://www.google.com/search?q=i%27ll+walk+beside+you&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS726US727&oq=ill+walk&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l5.4861j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) and think about our merry band of misfits and Steve and Diana (mostly those two i listened to this like a dozens times to be sad enough to write this chapter and take it out on Diana)
> 
> drop me a comment and tell me how u feel about the story they really keep me going!!


	4. What People do in Peace Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Diana wakes up, eats breakfast, and watches the news.

_“All I see are a bunch of Fritz’ millin’ about.” Charlie spat out. Diana kneeled down next to him, and tried to spy an opening or a weak point in the camp, but it was crawling with German soldiers. Nazis, they were called this time, had left a bad taste in her mouth the moment she heard about their party. Now a war had started and more innocent people were being killed because of Ares. “The lookouts all got a guard in them and the smoke isn’t helpin’ me either.” He pulled the scope away from his face and turned away from the camp, “I don’t know why we don’t just have Diana pull another No Man’s Land on those dirty Krauts.”_

_“You know why we can’t Charlie, this is not trench warfare anymore and my shield can’t protect me from all sides.” Diana said with her hands on her hips. This war was just as evil as the last, and seemed to be entirely manmade. She knew better though. When talk of war first reached her ears, her blood had turned to ice. Ares was dead, so how could another World War begin? She had worked herself into almost nothing trying to hunt down Ares, when she realized what had cause this war: the armistice. Ares armistice backed Germany into a corner and now they were acting like feral dogs, and trying to exterminate ‘the people responsible’. “Besides, I cannot take out an entire camp by myself; I’ll need my team to watch my back.”_

_“We could do a stake out, there has to be shifts we just have to learn them. We all know Diana is our heavy hitter, and all we have to do is get her in there before they have time to grab their guns.” The Chief whispered from the back of their group. He had set up their base of operations, if you could call a camp fire and a couple tents that, a couple miles from Natzweiler. “We need to be careful though, none of us exactly fit the description of the Third Reich’s ideal person.”_

_Sameer look up from where he was crouched, “The Chief is right; we cannot just run in there like before. I hate to say it, but even my acting ability cannot hide the color of my skin, and this time we don’t have a spy to infiltrate and gather data.” The stab of pain that hit Diana was expected but, hurt all the same, it had been years and Steve’s death still felt like a fresh wound. She could not dwell on memories now and past heartache, her team needed her to be strong and lead._

_Diana stood up and turned to her team, “Then it’s settled. We will head back to camp, grab some supplies, and something to mark when the shifts change.” She had just started on the trek back to their camp when a piercing alarm blared._

Diana gasped awake, reliving memories in her sleep was not something new, but the exhaustion that settles in her bones afterwards never quite leaves. Those dreams, the ones set in the second human war she had fought in, left her heart racing and the smell of burning flesh in her nose. Diana placed a hand on her heart and deftly grabbed the old watch hidden in her bedside drawer. 

Looking at her bedside clock, which read 4:36 am, she groaned and threw off her blankets. She got out of bed and ambled down the hallway, grumbling to herself about how even on her days off she can’t sleep in. Diana made her way to the kitchen and blindly felt for the coffee machine she had preset to make her favorite Irish blend of tea. Tea was one of the very few things that made the human world better than Themyscira, and the fact that she didn’t need to sit and brew it anymore made the deal that much sweeter.

While her tea water boiled, Diana settled into her morning routine. Stretching the kinks out of her back, she turned on the news and rolled her blue yoga mat out. When she had first found out about yoga, she had immediately loved it. The discipline and control it required reminded her of the training she went through on Themyscira with Antiope before her mother caught them. It strained her body and calmed her mind of any stress the day had left her with. The news chattered on about the impact of meta-humans in society, the weather, and the increasing tension between this country and that country; it faded into the back of her mind as she opened her curtains and gazed out at the predawn light that bathed Paris in soft purples and grays.

The kettle started shrieking after three minutes, Diana turned to leave her window and pour her tea. She sighed as the fruity (as far as tea goes) beverage warmed her insides and calmed her frazzled nerves. As she went to change out of her pajamas and into her yoga pants, something on the television caught her attention. The news reporter was talking about a breaking news story—an assassination—that had happened a few minutes ago. 

“I have just received intel that Franklin Berkowitz, the mayor of Metropolis, has been killed.” The man tapped his earpiece, “It seems that the eyewitnesses say there was a suspicious man lurking near the back of the crowd. It’s too early to say if this was an assassination, but the evidence seems to be pointing towards it. More on that later.” The news station then flipped to a perky dog story.

“An assassination, huh? Hopefully it’s just a onetime thing. I’ll head to Metropolis anyway; it will be a nice change of scene. Batman might need a little help too, since Superman is gone after all.” Diana muttered to herself. Heading back to her room she changed and fell back into her routine, but she couldn’t shake the feeling like something big was about to happen. Diana pushed the agitation under her skin to the back of her mind; there was nothing to worry about, no wars to fight, no alien invaders, and no Ares to speak of. 

If only she could convince herself of that.

\--

The Captain grunted softly as the ground swallowed him. The world turned dark around him, collapsed in and out, and swirled in a nauseating fashion. He always got the distinct feeling that he was being pulled apart and put back together atom by atom; it was complete agony, but that did not matter. After The Captain was successfully spit out by the ground and his vision stopped bleeding colors, War greeted him.

“Well?” War raised an eyebrow. Eyes scanning The Captain, he took in every out of place hair and dirty armor piece The Captain had gained during the crowd chaos after the mission. In another life, The Captain might have been annoyed at the obvious lack of trust and implication that he was incompetent in his eyes, or fidgeted under the hard stare of a much superior man; this was not that life, though. The Captain knew better—had been taught better—than to question War’s absolute authority over his existence.

The Captain’s dull eyes slowly slid up to meet his, “Mission complete, sir.” His voice was muffled by the mask he wore, and hoarse from misuse, but clear enough for War to hear him. War began circling around The Captain, eyes roving over him the way someone would check a dirty dog for fleas. The Captain had completed his mission without flaw, though, so there was nothing to dread.

“So it seems. The human world is quite advanced nowadays, don’t you agree?” he came to a halt in front of The Captain and tilted his head. Gently War grabbed his chin, “They have ways to see happenings all over their world in seconds, are able to entertain and learn with just the click of a button, and can even,” his grip tightened, “record suspicious men fleeing crime scenes.” 

He had made a mistake.

The Captain’s eyes widened, “Ah, there it is! The realization that you weren’t careful enough.” War’s other hand snaked up his arm and settled on his shoulder in a bruising grip, “I do recall telling you that an assassin—a God-Killer—is to remain anonymous until his creator tells him to, don’t you? My dear Captain, I really hate doing this, but you leave me no choice.” War began maneuvering The Captain towards the crater, he raised his hand and the ground spit out something else. The Captain began to struggle, a left over reflex from Before, but War was much too strong to break away from. “Now, now, why must you always fight back? I’m doing this for your own good; think of it as a way for you to become stronger. You will have to be strong if you are to fulfill your purpose Captain.” He said this all with a soft voice, but the hard frown and creased forehead spoke volumes. “What are you waiting for? Take off your gear and get in the chamber, boy.”

The Captain took off his mask and tactical gear with barely a tremor to his hands, but his heart hammered inside of his chest. Once he had stripped himself to the bare necessities, he walked into a small glass box. There were two pipes running the entire length of the back wall, and a chair in the corner; outside the chamber War turned one of the two valves on the outside wall, “You have to learn, dear Captain, that mistakes are for frail humans, and you are neither of those things.” War glanced up at The Captain, he had a terrifying glint in his eyes and growled out, “I made sure of that.”

War turned and disappeared as orange gas poured into the chamber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait guys, but i had a pretty eventful weekend and im still having a hard time writing Diana. luckily i pumped this out a my borthday gift to you! thats right it was may borthday yesterday (technically a few hours ago for me since its like 4:30 in the morning buuuut) and ive got a chapter with your names written all over it! 
> 
> Leave me a comment and tell me what you think or to just scream about Wonder Woman or any heroic steves that come to mind! ;^>


	5. Godly Interventions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana catches a flight, and a couple of gods stop for tea.

“Diana.” A distant voice whispered. Diana opened her eyes reluctantly, the world blurred and swayed unsteadily as if a cosmic toddler had finger painted the universe. “Diana, focus on my voice.” The voice was everywhere slithering around her head and hitting her at every angle. Diana shook her head slowly; the world smeared around her, and when in finally gained defined shapes instead of bleeding blobs of color there was a remarkably enchanting woman standing in front of her.

“Who are you?” Diana looked around she was in her apartment but when she looked out the window she saw the calm waters of Themyscira. The woman walked, more like floated, over to where Diana stood. Her pink dress flowed around her, never touching the ground, her perfectly manicured hands reached up to cup Diana’s face. A small smile graced her flawless face, and despite herself Diana leaned into the touch, “Where am I? Please tell me.”

“Diana you are home, and I am Aphrodite, goddess of Love.” Aphrodite’s eyebrows creased and her impossibly large eyes, a warm and caring brown, held such sorrow, “I am not here to harm you, not like Ares, but what I have to tell you may possible hurt more.” The bangles around Aphrodite’s wrists and ankles clinked together as she walked towards a window. Diana tried to follow her, this living god, but found herself weighed down and unable to move more than a foot.

A soft breeze blew throughout her house, Aphrodite’s ringlets moved slightly but never fell out of place. “What do you need to tell me?” Diana whispered. A fire crackled in the background, but Diana’s apartment did not have one the space for such a thing. She swiveled her head to see a healthy fire burning in her kitchen, “What is going on? How are you alive? Ares killed you!” the fire glowed brighter in response.

“Gods do not, cannot, die. We were weakened and began to fade, but we will never die.” Aphrodite’s voice echoed around Diana with ancient power and knowledge, she turned from the window and her eyes burned, “I wanted to tell you, but I was not powerful enough to reach out to you. I needed help, you have Hestia to thank for this interaction.” She tilted her head toward the fire burning where her stove should be, “I have wanted to meet you for a while, the demigod who destroyed a God-Killer, Zeus’ ultimate weapon. You are remarkable and have been blessed by many gods, myself included,” her face turned hard, “but peace time is drawing to a close and you will be called upon again.”

Diana’s head was spinning, if Aphrodite and Hestia lived, then Ares must be alive. A chill went down her spine, had she failed? Her mission was to protect mankind from Ares’ evil, but if he lived there was a chance that he could rise again. The world had changed since that fateful battle in Germany, and the news of real living gods, not aliens like Superman or meta-humans, would shake mankind to its core. Diana didn’t know if humans would be able to function if they ever found out what Diana truly was. “Is Ares…?” she could not finish the sentence, a cold pit formed in her stomach when Aphrodite’s face crumpled.

“I cannot tell you everything, he will know and seek you out, but I can offer you this. Ares has learned from his mistakes and followed in his father’s footsteps. Beware The Captain.”

\--

Diana opened her eyes, and found herself on a plane. She looked down at her hands to find a tourist’s magazine flipped open and Metropolis circled in pink pen. Next to it there was note in curly script with hearts dotted around it, _‘Don’t worry about the museum, I asked them to put you on paid leave, plus the airport was completely fine with you catching a ride with them! Take as long as you like! Be safe! ;p’_ Diana smiled to herself, it seemed she had a couple of goddesses in her corner.

The godly intervention had taken a good chunk out of the flight time, and there was only about three or so hours left to endure. Normally, Diana would be more than a bit off put by the fact that she had been essentially unconscious for not only the flight but most of the day, but something told that should be the least of her concerns. Diana took a deep breath as she caught sight of the sky unfolding around her; she did not like planes. She hadn’t liked them since before Ares’, and getting on them always filled her with unease.  
“Afraid of flying?” an older woman with a warm smile asked. Diana turned and nodded, her hands did not shake, but the woman could see the fear on her face. “Why don’t you tell me about it? The best way to fight fear is to talk about it or anything else, I suppose.” The woman chuckled to herself and Diana smiled. The rest of the flight was spent talking about the woman’s orphanage, Diana’s windowsill garden, and how absolutely delightful Prague was in spring. 

When Diana got off the plane, saying goodbye to her seat neighbor, the fact that Ares was alive hit her. She stumbled to a sticky seat by a window overlooking a section of the parking lot. Ares was alive, and could not be killed. He would always lurk under the surface of the world and underneath Diana’s skin. His Great War and all the ones that followed were echoes of his power, and Diana could do nothing but prepare for his return. She put a hand on her heart, no, Diana would not be overcome by the fear of failure or facts she could not change. She rubbed the worn leather of her—Steve’s—their wristwatch between her fingers and steadied her breathing. She could not prevent Ares from returning from the Underworld, but she could stop him once more.

Diana stood up, and made her way out of the airport. Something was very wrong in this city that much she could tell. The recent murder of a politician and death of their protector had put everyone on edge, but there was something more. The ground hummed with energy, and the air smelled of a fight. When Diana met whatever it was that could put an entire city on edge, and she prayed it would not be Ares, something had to give.

It would not be her.

\--

In a small coffee shop not far away from the airport, another god sat with a cup of tea. He smiled to himself, it seemed coming to Metropolis had not been such a waste of time. Princess Diana of Themyscira had finally come to visit after all this time. She thrummed with power and the god’s smile turned into a mischievous grin, if he was going to reveal himself, why not have a little fun with her first. Maybe he would switch her furniture around, or set back all her clocks by an hour. That would be a fun tick to pull, unless he touched her watch, but he knew better than that.

The Princess was a mighty warrior and a kind woman, he would not pull a mean trick, no, just pull the wool over her eyes for a bit. She would be delighted to see him after so long, and would not hold it against him like the rest of her kind. The Greek and Roman gods were a lofty bunch, and whenever he tricked one of them they became furious and took it out on him. Using the small power they had they would spit a light curse at him or not speak to him for a few decades, but Diana was not like that.

They were friends after all.

The god looked up as a beautiful woman sat down in the chair across from him, “Aphrodite, I did not expect to see you here. I believe you enjoy France much more to America.” He smiled at her, but seeing Aphrodite’s expression he stopped.

“Please, I need you to help Diana. She will need a friend for this journey, and I know you were close with her for a time.” Her eyes glowed, trying to lull him into agreeing with her, but the god was stronger than her (if only by a little). Besides he was going to help Diana even if Aphrodite hadn’t come to talk with him.

He waved his hand, “Of course I will! Diana is my friend, and even I can feel him gathering energy. I do not want another Great War to begin.” His smile slipped from his face as he thought of all the people who died because of human anger and Ares’ greed. The world had lost its happiness and tricks were not fun to pull on dying people.

Aphrodite smiled in relief, “Thank you, and please do not try to pull anything. She has just found out Ares is alive, and will not take to kindly to your jokes.” Aphrodite gave him a hard stare as she said this. Being on the receiving end of one of his tricks was not fun. He had tried to steal her one of her doves and replace it with a coyote. Aphrodite cursed him for doing such a horrible thing, but she knew he would never truly learn. He was much like Hermes in that regard. She stood up and left the coffee shop; she would be watching the trickster closely in the coming months. 

The trickster in question smirked as the goddess left, Aphrodite was one of his favorite European gods. Though she may deny it, she had laughed at some of his tricks. As long as they were pulled on someone she was currently squabbling with. Turning his attention away from the embodiment of youth, the god felt for Diana’s power. She had gotten much stronger since they had last parted. He hummed a tune to himself as he left the café, Aphrodite was right he decided. Diana was not up for tricks this time.

Besides he had already played a trick on her before, and she still did not know the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY!!! it is done and boy did i push this one off but!! i really like this story and you guys are absolutely delightful so here it is!!! And dont worry we will eventually get to where the actual winter soldier movie start at some point
> 
> leave me a comment and tell me what u think cause they fuel me ;p


	6. Old Habits Die Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana confronts a ghost.

Diana breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the door of her temporary apartment—Aphrodite’s work no doubt—and locked it. The Metropolis air choked her and paranoia crawled up her back the moment the stepped out of the airport; someone was watching her. It was a constant presence, but for the life of her she could not figure out who. Diana was no stranger to stealth, not anymore at least, and could tell when someone was tailing her, but this person was either incredibly good or not a person at all.

Diana leaned against the door and muttered to herself, “Diana, you’ve faced far worse threats than some curious bystander. There is no need to get so worked up.” She grabbed her luggage, there were a few more heart patterns on it since the last time she saw it, and stood up. The apartment was nice, bigger than she expected, with a short hallway leading from the front door to the living room and opening into a kitchen. 

She made her way down the hallway when she heard voices coming from a room around the corner. Diana’s heart sped up, and she turned to unhook her lasso from her pants belt loops. It glowed in her hands as it expanded and Diana felt its power course through her. She crept forward silently, listening for any sign that her intruder had heard her. Turning the corner, she saw a soft glow emitting from the room the voices had come from. Diana quickly stalked towards the room, and saw that, not only was the television on, but the volume was turned all the way up. 

Diana did not loosen her grip on her Lasso of Truth, something was wrong here. She surveyed the bedroom; nothing else seemed to be out of order. The bed was not rumpled, and the window seemed to be intact. Sweeping the room for bugs, or any sort of godly device, Diana found not one thing to suggest a break-in or a reason why the television was on. Slowly she made her way out of the bedroom and into the rest of the apartment. She checked every room for more signs of disturbance, but everything untouched.  
This set her more on edge finding something would have.

The kitchen was her last stop, and as she was rummaging around the fully stocked cupboards, something caught her eye. On the counter was a little statue of a sun and under it a piece of paper peeked out. Diana grabbed the statue and pulled out the note. On it, in startlingly familiar handwriting it said, _‘Diana, I wanted to get you a housewarming gift since it has been such a long time since you stayed in America. I also would like to invite you to the café down the street so we can catch up. It has been a very long time since I have last seen you, and I know you will have questions. Meet me there at 1:30 tomorrow. –Chief’_

\--

When Diana was still growing, and did not know war or death, she had tricked her mother. It had not been a particularly malicious trick, and even ended up aiding her later in life, but it still was a trick. She would wait until after her mother finished her stories and blew out the candle in her room, then sneak out of the castle and train for a war even her mentor hoped would never come. She learned to even out her breathing and lower her eyes gradually, learned to stop her feet from slapping the stone floor, and make a mound under her blankets just in case her mother decided to check up on her. After a while she forgot the guilt of lying to her queen, she no longer feared the consequences of her actions and rationalized why, exactly, she went against her mother’s will.

Then she got caught.

When Diana saw her mother ride up to the secluded grove her and Antiope had chosen to train in, dread had filled her. It had been so many years since her secret training had begun that Diana had long since lost the paranoia that clung to her as child. The feeling that her mother knew what she had done and was just waiting for Diana to confess faded with the time she spent evading her mother’s schedules and watchful gaze. Seeing her mother’s eyes fill with something like anger and sadness, though, Diana felt all her years of trickery catch up to at once. 

Sitting in a café—a warm little place that smelled like cinnamon—across from a dead man, Diana felt like she finally understood what her mother felt. Chief looked as young and filled with life as he had during the Great War, but he seemed different. He still wore his beaded and feather necklaces, and kept his hair long and in tight braids, but his eyes were as old as time itself. Looking back on her time with Chief she realized his eyes always carried many more years than his body could carry, but she had been young enough to dismiss his knowing looks as worldly experience and not that of a gods.

“I suppose you are wondering how I’m here, and why I stayed away from you for so long.” Chief looked up from his drink, his dark eyes pleaded with her to listen. When Diana nodded Chief continued, “I told you when we met that my name was Napi, and you understood me. It was a wonderful surprise to meet someone who knew my language, but I thought nothing of it. I could feel your power, something ancient and potent, and I wondered briefly if you were some foreign god sent to avenge your people.” He paused, taking a sip of his tea, “The way you carried yourself, though, was entirely Greek, and I knew that they were all gone. I had felt them fight, and slowly disappear from human thought; so I dismissed the possibility that you were a Greek demi-god.” 

Diana’s brow furrowed, “Why would you keep this from me? You knew who I was after Ares, so why would you continue to lie about what you were from me?” her voice shook with an emotion she could not place—it was not rage, not entirely at least—but something inside her grieved the years she spent without anyone to confide it and clawed its way up her throat.

Chief looked up, meeting her eyes and smiled bitterly, “Diana, I am a trickster god. You would have had to catch me before I told you the truth, but you never did. I learned of you eternal youth, and thought ‘what a fun trick it would be to come back from the dead’.” He smiled at the thought, and Diana felt her rage cool slightly at the familiar sight, “I had been away from home for too long, though, and could not resist the way the Earth beckoned me to stay where I belonged.” Chief sighed and looked away, “I’m—I’m sorry Diana, but you know as well as I that something is coming, and I want to help you.”

Diana sat back in her chair, Chief being a god did not surprise. As much as she would like to claim she knew all along, Diana was still a young demi-goddess when Chief left for his homeland. She could feel his power now, knew the way he had helped create the Earth, but learning to sense another god’s presence had taken years and years for her to master. Diana spoke quietly, “I have lived many years without someone who truly knew me, and have lost many friends along the way. You lied to me, Napi. I knew you for years, and you did not breathe a word to me. You let me fear old age and gruesome deaths," Diana took a deep breath, "but I know you, and know you would not lie to me again.” She reached over and laid her hand on his wrist, “I forgive you, and I accept your help once again to defeat Ares.”

Napi’s eyes lit up, “I knew you were not like your godly siblings. You have learned compassion and forgiveness, traits far too many of the Greek gods lack. I have missed you so much, Diana.” He gripped her hand, and his eyes swirled with the constellations he helped create.

Diana smiled at her old friend, “As have I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i watched the winter soldier like three times and im still sad about Bucky but we've got our little dynamic duo and i hope you guys dont hate Chief hes Trying also happy AmeriCanada Days u guys
> 
> leave me a comment and tell me what you think


	7. Lost Moments and Stolen Lives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which The Captain gets a rude awakening, and our heroes a rude interruption.

War had left him. In pain as he was, The Captain’s stomach dropped at the thought of being alone again. In the early days of his existence, when War forced pills that crackled with electricity down his throat and conjured up hundreds of men to beat him mercilessly, The Captain longed for the stretches of time when he was forgotten. Begged for the short reprieves where the snow fell softly, and the Piano Room played. He rejoiced when War left him, disgusted with his weakness or lack of independence, where he could lick his wounds in private. Of course he was never truly alone, something told him that War was always watching him and that he could never escape his view. 

Being alone, though, had its own consequences. After he proved his might, after learning to take down armies from the inside out and kill monsters twice his size and strength, War let him be. For weeks and weeks he would know nothing but the crumbling buildings and his own footprints in the snow. His eyes betrayed him, making him see figures in the distance or hear whispers in the night. It was maddening, his thought turned against him and his village became a cage. In the end, The Captain would beg silently at night—creatures like him were not meant to speak unless spoken to—for War to reappear. 

Of course War reappearing only meant more pain, but at least that pain was real.

In the quiet of the night, the chamber door opened with a hiss and The Captain stumbled out. His body was a mess of burns and scars from all the punishments he had endured. Most would fade, nothing ever really changed in his village, but the ones War liked would be branded to his skin. Each scar had a story, but The Captain had no one to tell, and he could see the disgust on War’s face whenever he caught sight of them. Snowflakes fluttered down daintily and danced across his blurry vision as he scrambled away from the chamber. The frost chilled his burns and the blisters on his feet ached, his legs trembled with the effort to get away from his punishment and to the Piano Room. 

The song began playing just as The Captain collapsed onto the dirty floor. His scattered mind lulled into a merciful blankness as the faint voice crooned out a melody. He leaned onto to scorched wall as the song eased the tension in his muscles and wrapped him in a sense of almost safety. The Captain closed his eyes and his jumbled thoughts settled.

_“It’s awful…” a beautiful woman murmured next to him. They were on a dock filled with crying women and children and dull eyed men. The air was hard to breathe and filled with smog, everything around them seemed hopeless and devoid of color. The woman, however, seemed vibrant and filled with life; the air around her hummed with power and a warmth that put The Captain at ease. The woman turned to him, her mouth set in a firm line, “This is Ares’ fault. We must find him soon, and stop this war from destroying mankind.” The Captain nodded and said nothing, though he did not know who Ares was or what this ‘war’ was._

_Following her onto a boat, he wanted to ask who she was or where they were, but he could not find the words or the will to speak. The men with her seemed to know him, and spoke to him with a camaraderie that The Captain had never known. They smiled and joked, nudging him when asking about the woman they were with, but for the life of him he could not remember their names. The Captain looked around at the grey sky and sea, he saw hundreds of scarred men and terrified boys in uniform and knew they had been sent to die. Something inside him wept at the sight, but he did not know why._

_These were mortals, something War despised. He said they were disgusting and full of hatred—a virus sucking the life out of the earth—and The Captain had no choice but to believe him. Looking at the vibrant woman and her allies though, he wondered if maybe War was wrong. Maybe he could save these mortals from War’s purge. They meant something to him, he could feel it. His chest filled with warmth when he saw their faces and the back of his mind buzzed an answer._

_The Captain’s forehead creased, their names were on the tip of his tongue. Their names were-were-_

The Captain woke to a terrible pounding in his head, and War standing above him, “Get up. I have another mission for you.” He walked out of the building and The Captain rushed after him. War snapped his fingers and The Captain’s stealth gear reappeared, “You have two non-human targets. Both have been interfering with my plans and I want them gone.” He handed The Captain a file with their coordinates and how to properly subdue them. War turned to him and his eyes blazed, “Remember, they may be weakened from past injuries, but are still capable of destroying what we have worked so hard for. Do not disappoint me.”

“Yes, sir.”

\--

“Diana, you must know by now that something is terribly wrong.” Chief said as soon as Diana had shut her door. She turned to him and nodded, the paranoia she had felt earlier had lifted when she reunited with Napi, but as soon as she left the café it was clear that more than one god was watching her, “I can feel a mounting power deep inside the earth, and the air tastes of death. I fear that someday very soon another battle will take place…” Chief sat down on the couch. His eyes were endless and Diana felt terribly young looking into them.

She took his hand with a determined smile. “When the time comes we will be ready. He may have beaten death, but now he has to fight two gods.” Diana settled beside her old friend, “Aphrodite spoke to me earlier this week, she warned me of Ares’ awakening. He has recovered from death so quickly, and is already planning something. I don’t understand how, though. How is he so strong when Aphrodite cannot even speak to me without help?”

Napi sighed, “Diana, Ares is the embodiment of war, and unlike Aphrodite he does not need knowing worship to gain power. This past century was been rife with global conflict, and I believe he may have planned for defeat and fed off the ensuing wars.” He paused as Diana’s stove flicked on. Reality swirled around them, and time slowed down. A figure appeared in the middle of the room; Chief stood up and opened his arms, “Aphrodite, I was wondering when you would decide to show up.” He made to take her hand, but stopped at her expression.

The goddess glared at him, “I don’t have time for you, Napi. I wish to speak to Diana and only her, leave.” She turned crossed her arms, and turned to Diana who could not find the strength to stand as Chief had. He only smiled at her dismissal and stood to his full height.

“Oh come now Aphrodite, are still mad about that trick a few centuries back?” He laughed and flopped onto the couch, “You need to learn how to take a joke.”

Aphrodite scowled and bit out, “And _you_ need to learn what is and is not a joke!” her hair whipped around her head as she took a calming breath. When she turned to Diana, Aphrodite smiled, but her eyes looked weary and her movements sluggish, “Diana, I fear Ares is aware of mine and Hestia’s meddling. He may come after you, or someone close to you.” Aphrodite stopped; her jewelry jangled as she brought her hands up to cup Diana’s face, “The truth is…he already has.” 

She opened her mouth to say more, but a loud bang that shook the building cut her off. The hearth flickered and the world the two goddesses had created crashed back into reality. A burning heat seared blinded Diana, and when she opened her eyes, the apartment walls were cracked and another woman was gasping on her floor. Aphrodite’s grip on Diana faltered and her eyes widened in pain. Her hands went to her side, where her pink dress was ripped and stained, and came back covered in sticky, golden blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOHHHH BOY was this one a doozy guys. it wrestled with me buuut i knew i had it in me and i couldnt bear to let you all down!! im pretty excited for the next one so dont you worry ill get it out soon! also i was wondering if you guys were interested in like a tumblr blog about this story?? you guys could ask questions about the world or about the story without me spoiling anything. plus we could have more wondertrev and Napi!!
> 
> Drop me a comment and tell me what you think i LIVE for them!! <3


	8. God-Killers and the gods they kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the God-Killers meet, and Napi remembers his roots.

Aphrodite stumbled back, her face pale and pinched, as another shot rang out. A bullet whizzed past Napi’s face and hit the ground next to Hestia. Diana yelled out something, but he couldn’t hear it over the ringing in his ears. He could see her blood, golden and holy like everything else about European gods, oozing out of her side and turning the area around it brown and ugly. That wasn’t right, she was the goddess of Love and Beauty. She was always immaculately dressed with not a hair out of place and perfectly manicured nails. 

If Napi knew one thing it was that Aphrodite wasn’t meant to be ugly.

Diana stood up, and Chief knew that look, he could see the fire in her eyes as she reached for her Lasso. She turned to Chief and yelled, “Watch them! I am going after whoever did this!” her voice rumbled with the power of the sleeping Olympians, as her form shimmered and her warrior clothes appeared on her body along with her beloved shield. Napi grinned and nodded, he had full faith that Diana would destroy the monster who had done this. She crouched low, and took off through the ruined wall. The plaster crumbled, and Napi could see Diana land on the rooftop of another building.

He turned to Hestia, her pained gasps rattled in her chest, “Are you…okay?” Napi had never spent much time around Hestia, but if she was anything like her siblings she wouldn’t take to well to his brand of sympathy. She lifted her head and glared at him, but quickly sank back into a sweating, heaving mess on the floor. Napi decided it was best to leave her be, and busied himself with moving Aphrodite from the floor. 

She opened her eyes and groaned, “Napi, I don’t think this was a normal bullet…” Napi picked her up and huddled next to Hestia in the short hallway separating Diana’s bedroom from the rest of the apartment. He sighed and looked at the two weakened goddesses. Getting them away from the shooter, and keeping Aphrodite from bleeding out all over Diana’s new floor, was going to be tough.

“Well, it seems I’m going to have my work cut out for me, aren’t I?” he grinned down at Aphrodite, who half-heartedly glared at him through sweaty curls. “Don’t worry, though. For once, I’m in your corner, and I happen to have a lot of _tricks_ up my sleeve.” He hoped neither of them cursed him for that, but at Aphrodite’s snort (and Hestia’s groan) he figured he should get up and check their surroundings. Gently he lowered the goddess of Love onto the floor and walked to the middle of the room.

Hestia had finally calmed down from being forcibly ejected from her godly head space, and touched Aphrodite’s face, “Do you think he has sent the God-Killer after us?” her voice trembled, not from fear but rage, heat radiated off of her. He could feel her power, and considering his track record with gods of fire and heat, Napi was almost glad he had never given her a second glance when planning a trick.

He quickly tuned them out, that was a family issue he did not want _anything_ to do with, and closed his eyes. He centered himself, and sought out Diana and their attacker. Feeling Diana’s feet pounding on a rooftop, and the pulsing life forces of the humans around him, he felt himself begin to sway with the earth’s rotations and breathe with every supernova. He remembered this feeling well, before humans and godly wars, there was just him and the parts of the universe he had brought to life. It was a peaceful, but lonely, existence. For all its good though, he would loathe to go back.

Then he heard the click of a gun.

His soul slammed back into his body; a pit formed in Napi’s stomach, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, as he realized what was going to happen. He turned to warn Aphrodite and Hestia, but it was too late. Napi could hear the ticking bomb being shot at the apartment, and instinct took over. He raised his arms and felt Old Magic spark in his lungs. 

\--

Diana’s heart thumped in her chest as she landed. It had been a long time since she had fought for one of her own. She ran after the retreating figure, covered head to toe in modern black combat gear mixed with what looked like Ancient Greek military garb. Something gold glinted off his head and shoulder, but Diana had no time to ponder her newfound half-sister’s would be murderer’s fashion choices as he stopped on the rooftop next to hers. He turned to her, blue eyes blazing, and waited.

She jumped down and landed in a crouch, adrenaline rushed through her veins and cleared her mind of only her enemy and the battle ahead of her, “Who are you?” her muscles tensed as the man’s dead eyed stare settled on her. There was a mask covering his face, but the lack of emotion did not cow Diana. She had fought and defeated eviler creatures than a hired gun before.

The man said nothing, but dropped his gun and closed the distance between them. He jumped high, higher than any human could, and threw his spear at her head. He was fast, but Diana had trained with the greatest general in Amazonian history. She raised her arm above her head, and knocked the spear away with her bracelets; the impact zone sizzled like a bullet on the hot metal. The man dropped and rammed into Diana, knocking the wind out of her and lifting her off her feet. He flipped her over his shoulder and to the ground, straddling her and punching her repeatedly in the face. Diana lifted her legs and used her momentum to shove him off. 

She scrambled to her feet, rushed towards him, and wrapped her Lasso around his feet. She pulled and whipped him around, using all her strength to slam him into the ground. He staggered to his feet, blood trickled down his forehead, and grabbed the Lasso himself. He heaved it toward him, and the two began playing a very dangerous game of tug-of-war. Diana dug her heals into the gravel of the rooftop, they were evenly matched in strength, and Diana could see the cracks in the building forming from their fight.

She worried that if they kept fighting in such a populated area then someone could get hurt. Diana was pulled from her thoughts as her Lasso was ripped from her hands. Her eyes widened, she could not afford to lose focus again. The man threw the Lasso down as he drew himself up. She could see his eyes clearer now, and in the heat of battle they looked almost human. Something about those eyes tugged at her, but Diana knew better than to stumble after every man with eyes that reminded her of plane crashes and the Themysicran waters of her youth. Diana felt her anger rise, this man had no right to have that same shade of blue in his eyes.

He reached behind his back and pulled out a sword.

Diana’s stomach dropped, “It cannot be…” she whispered. The man was brandishing her sword, the one she had lost so long ago. It was black and charred, the hilt was broken like someone had tried to put it together from the ashes it once was, but couldn’t quite find all the pieces. The sword was jagged and cut into his hand, but he didn’t seem to care or even notice.

The man ran towards her, and swung the sword down. In her stupor, Diana was only fast enough to stop the sword—the God-Killer—from fulfilling its duty. Her cheek stung from a small cut, but she ignored the slight pain. He raised his leg and kicked her in the stomach, away from him and over the edge of the building.

\--

Napi focused on the goddess’ beside him, and brought forth all the dormant power in the earth. This was a dangerous form of Magic, especially when using it on unwilling gods, but Napi bowed to no force other than his own. He could feel Aphrodite’s pain and Hestia’s panic as their existence flickered and shot between time and space. The earth, the very universe herself, moved for Napi and welcomed his presence. She sang to him, and raged against two Domain Gods being in such a sacred place, but he soothed her anger with a smile and the promise of a spectacular dance. He glanced down at the prone forms of the Greek goddesses; closing his eyes he willed them to away from danger. The Old Magic in his bones sizzled and ran down his arms and into the fabric of the galaxy as he flung them back to earth.

The feeling of rearranging the very atoms that make up the universe, ripping a hole in time and then stitching it back together in the matter of seconds was always exhilarating. The power that jumped on his fingertips and knowing that, if he wanted, he could destroy and remake a part of this world filled his chest with something raw and entirely unhuman. Destroying worlds takes power though, and one trickster god was not enough. Besides, he knew what happened to rogue gods who thought themselves too mighty to share it with others like them. No, he would never fall to the temptation; he knew where it led. It would leave him to death and awakening to new gods, but the same mistakes. He remembered witnessing the downfall of some of the most powerful gods, and seeing humans emulate their creators by building and tearing down great empires and whole civilizations. Napi was no fool, and one of the few gods that learned from his—but mostly other’s—mistakes.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the rough asphalt digging into him and the sound of swerving cars.

The landing was hard, but Napi took the brunt of it so the two wounded goddesses would not injure themselves more. Hestia groaned and opened her eyes slowly, “That was very dangerous, Napi. You could have easily just shielded us, but you moved the earth around us!” flames danced in her eyes, and her dress writhed and scorched the ground around her. She hissed as she sat up, and moved closer to Aphrodite.

Napi glared at her, and snapped, “We are out of harm’s way, and you are safe!” he moved to check Aphrodite, “Besides the apartment is long gone by now, and you would have been too!” Napi grumbled to himself about uptight fire goddesses and how ungrateful they were, but stopped when he heard the screech of tires. He looked up and saw a car hurling towards them. He dived towards Aphrodite, who had passed out sometime between the apartment blowing up and landing in the middle of a busy intersection, and scrambled for a way to stop the car from doing her in.

Hestia yelled out something in Ancient Greek, her hair flared to life and her skin glowed and crackled like the hearth she took care of on Olympus. The car disintegrated and the humans around them screamed in terror, fleeing from the destruction. His ears were ringing again, but this time he couldn’t see as well. Hestia’s flames filled the air with think smoke and the smell of burnt food, she turned to him and gasped out, “We need to leave. Whatever is after us is not stopping.” Her face morphed and swirled, the sweat dripping down her brow turned to embers and the ends of her dress to fire. 

Napi nodded, but a sly grin slashed across his face when he saw the remains of the car around them, “You know Hestia, I never took you for a fighter, but every once in a while even I am wrong. I can think of few tricks that fire power of yours would come in handy for.” She huffed and motioned for him to pick up Aphrodite. She was dead wait in his arms, feverish and bleeding heavily. Hestia wiped her brow; Napi could see her hands beginning to shake, and he could feel his own exhaustion from using Old Magic creeping up on him. Hestia steadied her breathing and threw her hands away from her, dissipating the smoke. The moment it began to clear, Napi felt his stomach drop again.

They were not alone.

In the distance, all but invisible in the smoke, was a man. Everything about him screamed danger, from the black, form fitting clothes he wore, to the blood red himation the whipped around in the wind. He stood there, a spear in one hand and gun in the other, with dull eyes and Napi felt something akin to fear shoot down his spine. Not for him, he was a Creation God and even at his weakest he would never allow a mortal to catch him, but for the goddesses Diana had asked him to protect. Hestia gasped and stepped back, towards her niece, her form writhed and flipped between flame and flesh as she readied herself for a fight.

The man’s eyes cleared, going from a hazy grey to the brightest of blues, and seemed to almost reanimate. He walked with an unnatural amount of grace and precision, slowly making his way towards their small group. The mask on his face hid any emotion that may have crossed his face, and the click of his gun could be heard as clear as day. Hestia stepped in front on him, “I know what you want, God-Killer, but I will not give it to you without a fight!”

Hestia shouted, as her form turned completely into holy fire, a wall of flames erupted from the cracks in the ground stopping the God-Killer in his tracks. Hestia turned to him, “I don’t know how he does it, but something about him disrupts my focus. I can’t hold him for long, you need to get Aphrodite to safety!” her voice was garbled and slipped from Ancient Greek to English; he could feel the others, still sleeping but reacting to her call for help in the legion of voices that spoke with her.

Napi looked down at the woman in his arms, “No, he is after both of you.” He shoved Aphrodite into what looked like Hestia’s arms, “I will stay. You are in no shape to fight whatever _that_ is, and I fear no matter what we do Aphrodite will fall. You must go now!” Napi shoved Hestia away and turned towards the slowly dying flames. He could feel Hestia hesitate, but she eventually shot off in the direction of a nearby park and woods. 

Napi felt the pull of Old Magic in his chest, it fanned out into his veins and strengthened his bones; he willed the power into the palm of his hands and readied himself for a fight. The man in black, the God-Killer, finally made his way through the flames. He looked dirty closer up, and a trickle of red blood fell from his head and into his eyes. Napi smirked, seems as though he and Diana had already met. Of course, if the God-Killer looked like this after a fight with Wonder Woman, what did Diana look like?

Napi pushed that thought from his mind, he couldn’t afford to worry about her now, “Alright God-Killer, let us see if you live up to your name.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive decided to up my game and the only way to do that was to make it longer. also i hope the fight scene wasnt too horrible pls be gentle it was my first time writing one lol (was the title too dramatic?? lololol)
> 
> come say hi on my [blog](https://sugarplum-lane.tumblr.com/) i really wanna expand on this universe but idk if ur guys would be into it
> 
> leave me a comment and tell me what you think!! <33


	9. Faced with the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which an unstoppable force meets an immovable object (and some other gods in the meantime).

Diana hit the ground with a sickening crack. The concrete beneath her splintered with the force of her fall, she laid there dazed for a moment, and wondered what exactly the man was. He matched her in strength and speed, had stolen her Lasso of Truth, and kicked her off of a building; something not many people could do and live to tell the tale. Diana struggled to her feet, old and new wounds acting up, and crouched low. Her heart raced at the thought of someone who equaled her, an old Amazon lust for battle churned in her stomach, and shot into the air.

Diana landed with a crack of thunder, and looked up to hear the man’s gunshot go off, and see the apartment explode.

The man turned away from the building, not sparing a glance at her, or the screaming civilians, or the heat blasting from her former home, and leaped over the side. Diana knew she could—should—go after him, he was dangerous and obviously did not care about the lives of innocents, but Diana’s fatal flaw was her thirst for justice and need to protect. Without a second thought, Diana called her Lasso to her, and ran into the crumbling apartment complex.

Thick, black smoke was already pouring out of the higher windows, and the walls creaked and groaned with the stress of supporting the falling structure. Diana could hear the cries of the unfortunate people caught in the crossfires of a godly war, and felt her heart begin to pound in time with theirs. She felt their fear; it ran down her spine and crawled on her skin. Diana took a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and focused on the trapped humans in the building. Their souls resonated around her, pinging with energy and calling out for help. Seven, there were seven people she needed to rescue: two on the second floor, four on the fifth, and one trapped on the sixth. The building trembled again, as if to remind her that time was of the essence, and embers scattered around her. 

Zeroing in on the couple on the second floor, Wonder Woman crashed through the ceiling.

\--

The Captain had never felt this way before, not on a Mission at least. His heart hammered in his chest and his stomach turned at the feeling of _wrongness_ when he faced the Woman on the Rooftop. Something sparked in his dull mind the moment she looked him in the eyes, and his body burned at the sight of her golden lasso. She fought with an elegance he had never seen before in all his years of facing War’s men and monsters; it was amazing and so very _familiar_. 

His head started pounding not soon after their fight. His mind flashed back to her every few minutes, and it was getting hard to focus on tracking down his wounded targets. War had not warned him about any other gods in allegiance with the goddesses, but War expected both dead by tomorrow and The Captain refused to fail. 

There was another god standing in front of him. A very powerful and ancient god; one that was willing to fight him for the targets, but The Captain knew better than to engage with his type alone. The god slid into a fighting stance, and looked at him with endless eyes. The Captain’s head pounded harder at the sight, another achingly familiar being, he pulled at his hair and told himself to focus on the mission. This god was not a target, and something inside him hoped he would never be.

The man howled something deep and guttural, in a language The Captain knew was not of earth, and the world imploded on itself. The air sharpened around him, sending pins and needles down his throat and into his lungs, and the stars closed in on him, their screams rang in his ears and sent chills down his spine. The ground beneath him gave way to nothingness, and coyotes tore at his flesh and bayed at his heels. Reality spun around him, twisting and contorting into complete madness—then it stopped. 

The colors left, the terror and pain faded, and silence rang in his ears. The world turned monotonous and gray, not even the air dared move an inch. It was like being back in his village, where nothing changed unless War willed it, but this stillness seemed less controlled and overbearing. It whipped around his insides and settled in his lungs; he could almost hear it asking him to stop. Asking him to leave, and let them live.

The Captain’s head resumed its angry pounding, but this was not because of the Woman on the Rooftop or the god, and single thought brought itself to life in a flash of hysteria and fear, ‘Do not disappoint me.’ 

\--

Napi’s arms trembled with the strain of keeping something like the God-Killer in an illusion. Usually, his mind tricks took shape of his enemy’s deepest desires or persuaded them to leave and sleep away this encounter, but the God-Killer’s mind flitted back and forth between absolute chaos and maddening stillness. It was painful, the way his trick was controlling and being controlled in turn with his captive. The God-Killer’s power spiked, fighting the illusion, and Napi felt his magic begin to wane. 

The God-Killer stood slowly, his mind and body warping between what was real and what was not, and staggered towards him. Blood trickled down his face, and dripped onto his body armor, his legs dragged and every few steps he clutched his head and grunted out something unintelligible. Napi hoped Hestia had the strength to get herself and Aphrodite far away from this monster; it seemed no amount of pain or distortion would stop him. The God-Killer stumbled again, and Napi hissed with him, his magic had begun to sear at his arms and the nape of his neck. It begged him to flee and rest, but Napi did not know where Diana was or what would happen if the God-Killer broke free of his illusion.

Napi looked into himself, felt around for another shred of power to keep the God-Killer under wraps, but the earth had nothing left to give him, and even if she did, Napi did not have the strength to control it. The threads around the God-Killer’s mind snapped one by one, and soon Napi was the one on the ground. He looked up to see the back of the God-Killer disappear between the black spots in his vision.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, something spitting angry kicked the God-Killer in the head.

\--

The Captain flew into the side of car. His body groaned in pain, and his head constantly cycled between the Mission and jumbled thoughts about bad guys and female warriors. He could not afford to fight this woman anymore. The god had over reached himself, something The Captain felt was much more luck than skill, and he could sense the targets. Both were exhausted and barely clinging to life. The woman was covered in soot and burns, but The Captain knew she would not stop until her world was safe.

He knew he could not win a fight with her as he was now. He looked up at the woman, chest heaving and glaring at him with blazing eyes. She tilted her head, and The Captain’s pounded in turn. He could see their fight. She would meet him blow for blow, her bracelets would catch his sword, and he would avoid her lasso; it would go on until one of them dropped from exhaustion. The Captain wanted to ignore her, wanted to be done with this Mission, but he had to be smart, and he knew her weakness. He could see it in the way her eyes still watered from the smoke, and in the way she kept glancing towards the buildings.

A sharp sting of pain in The Captain’s cheek broke his train of thought. His mask was broken, it had cracked on his fall, and now only served to distract him. He ripped it off, and felt the night air fill his lungs. He heard the woman gasp, he looked up to see her stumble backwards, and whisper, “Steve…?” with a terrified expression on her face.

He furrowed his brow, and muttered, “Who the hell is Steve?” but something in his chest screamed at the mention of that name. It roared inside him, and his ear began to ring. Something was very wrong with him, and this woman had started it.

He needed to be away from her and her confusing ally, and the only way to do that was to exploit her weakness. The Captain dug his hand into the car, the metal groaned as he left indents in the door, and threw it at the fallen god.

He turned and ran. He ran away from the fight, towards his targets, and hoped she would stay with the god. The Captain lengthened his stride, whether to get away from the Woman on the Rooftop or to finish his Mission, he didn’t know, and came to a park. He lifted his head and smelt for a fire and home cooked meals or the scent of expensive perfume and the sea, he turned his head towards a small wooded area, and could hear the sound of waves crashing on the shore, and see the glow of a warm fire. He stalked towards them, silent and aware of everything around him. He unsheathed his sword, the one powerful enough to stab a god’s heart, and stepped into view.

Hestia, weak but still awake, tried in vain to burn or curse him, but he knew her weakness too. He stood above Aphrodite, her wounds had already begun to heal, and felt War’s breath on his neck. Hestia cried out something in Ancient Greek, and holy fire laced down his arm, but it was too late. He brought the sword down on the goddess and felt the weight of her blood on his hands. Her being flickered, she opened her glowing eyes and mumbled something, then faded completely. He turned to Hestia, the fire goddess had already begun to flicker too. She was weak and wrought with grief, the goddess of family forced to watch one of her own die, and began smother herself. Her human form returned, tears streaking down her face and the grayness of death already setting in. 

The Captain killed her quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall i think i had writer's block but i love writing this story so i banished it....,,.,,,,..,,,,maybe
> 
> come say hi on my [tumblr](https://sugarplum-lane.tumblr.com/)
> 
> please leave a comment and tell me what you think!! <33


	10. Of Old and New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which both Diana and Napi wake to horrible realizations and are in the need of new friends.

Diana’s heart dropped at the man’s—Steve’s—blank expression. She stumbled backward, and felt an icy cold spread from her chest, numbing her arms and legs. The world spun as she looked into his eyes, those same eyes that held such love and courage so long ago, were filled with confusion and terror. Diana trembled under the weight of that gaze; something hysterical inside her refused to believe that this man, someone sent to kill her friends and family and didn’t seem to care about the lives of others, could ever be her Steve.

He was too different—too cold and calculating—to be the Steve Trevor that visited her in her dreams. He fought like a machine, ruthless and uncaring to the consequences of his actions, and Diana could tell that he would fight until his body gave out. She could see it in the way staggered to his feet, even as blood dripped from a head wound, and in the lines of his face, where pain permanently resided.

The sound of metal groaning shoved her back into reality, just in time to see the man hurl a car at Napi.

Diana darted in front of his prone form. Her muscles burned with the effort of catching a two ton hunk of metal with her bare hands. Diana grunted as the car tilted dangerously above her head, and her heels dug into the scorched concrete. She pulled at the last bit of strength in her, and heaved the car over her head and onto the ground. Through the smoke and dying flames Diana searched for the man, and when she could not, collapsed next to Chief.

She turned him over and checked his vitals, but she knew he had not died. Diana felt it in her soul the moment all of her friends died, and truth be told, she had never felt that familiar twinge for Napi even when she still believed him mortal. In hindsight, he always seemed a little otherworldly, but back then Diana had just thought it to be because everything about mankind seemed otherworldly to her. 

_Diana woke with a start, her heart pounded against the phantom feeling of cold and unforgiving metal wrapping itself around her. She could feel the heat of electricity sizzling down her arms and see the plane burning burning burning—Diana sat up. She took a deep breath, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It had been a while since she dreamt of that particular night, and for that she was glad, but suffering through nights like these were always a pain. Diana opened the little drawer beside her bed and grabbed Steve’s watch. It ticked on, and with every second she could feel her heart slowing._

_The night was still and silent, too early for even the toughest of workers to awaken, and a cool breeze flowed through her open window. Diana furrowed her brow, she could have sworn she had closed and locked her window earlier that night, but a sharp cry pierced the air outside. She stood up to shut the window, when she caught sight of the animal making the almost laughing noise, high-pitched and continuous. The animal vaguely reminded her of the stray dogs she sometimes saw on the street, but it seemed much more feral and deadly than the ones she saw rummaging through waste bins and back alleys._

_The creature turned to her, like it was expecting her, and stared with glowing eyes before disappearing into the night._

A sharp pain shot through her chest, knocking her out of her memories and onto to the ground. She felt the world, the very fabric of the universe, tilt and rearrange itself. Her stomach dropped as a heavy feeling of emptiness spread through her. Diana’s head pounded as realization hit her like bolt of lightning, “They’re dead…” she whispered to herself.

Diana had never felt a god die, not a god she had not killed at least, and hoped to never feel this again. She was no stranger to loss, whether it be on Themyscira or during her time with mankind, she always learned to live afterwards. Diana had let people die before, been too late to stop a building from falling and let the people she had sworn to protect down, but this feeling was something else entirely. 

She knew the Greek gods and goddesses were alive and much weaker than in the stories her mother told, but she had never truly realized how much of reality hinged on their continued consciousness. She could feel the universe claiming their bodies and fixing itself to hold together under the new strain of losing two goddesses at once. Her body felt heavy as lead, yet far away and unattainable; she gasped out two agonizing breaths, and wondered what it felt like when almost all the Greek gods were killed.

Diana could fight for days on end, never faltering or feeling even the slightest fatigue, but this battle had left her drained in ways that all the wars and supervillains in the world could only dream off. Through the constant waves of guilt and the, now dull, ache of the universe mourning for the fallen goddesses, Diana felt a burning anger settle in her gut. 

\--

Napi woke slowly and all at once. He gasped as the day’s events came rushing back to him: the God-Killer, Aphrodite and Hestia running off, and Diana rushing to his aid. Then he felt it; the slight off-ness of reality, how it felt stitched together and still bleeding. Napi sat up, and, despite himself, sighed over the loss of yet another pair of gods. He looked around at the destroyed street, deep pit in the ground, and an overturned car beside him; it seemed Diana and the God-Killer had another fight.

Something groaned beside him, “Diana?” he whispered. She was lying in a heap next to him, covered in dust and bruises, but seemed relatively unharmed. Diana groaned again and pushed herself onto her knees. She looked around, confused for a moment, then gasped and held her hand over her mouth.

Napi’s eyes widened at the sight of unshed tears filling Diana’s eyes, “Chief! They’re dead!” she cried, “And-and _he_ killed them!”

“Well, the God-Killer didn’t get that name from nowhere.” Napi winced at the glare Diana shot him, but at least her eyes dried. Napi was never good with crying, even when it wasn’t his fault. He began to stand, when Diana grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back down. She looked at him with big, despair filled eyes, and Napi knew something else was wrong with Diana.

“Napi, I know who the God-Killer is.” A pit was forming in his stomach, and, for some reason, he dreaded the answer. Her grip tightened on him, he could feel the distress rolling off of her in the minute trembles going up and down her fingers, “Its Steve, Napi.”

Chief felt a smile creep onto his face, “Diana, you know I enjoy a good trick, but you’re going to have to try harder than that. I’m a trickster god after all, besides, that’s a really bad one, and we all saw Steve die. I felt his soul leave this earth!” he pushed her hand away, and chuckled at her first attempt, maybe he could make a prankster out of her yet, but stopped at the look in her eyes. His laughter hit a hysterical note, it couldn’t be, could it?

“I would not lie to you Napi, not about something like this. Steve Trevor is the God-Killer;” Diana’s hands curled into fists, “I-I don’t know how or why, but I would know those eyes any day.” She looked up at him, and Napi felt a wave of _something_ wash over him. It was mean and ugly, writhing in his chest and wrapped in grief.

Napi shook his head, “I hope you are wrong Diana, but it seems a lot of people are coming back from the dead these days.” He stood up, and turned to his friend, “We need to be ready for the God-Killer’s next attack, but first we need a place to stay.” He helped Diana to her feet, and pulled her down the street, “I know the perfect place, but it’s a bit of journey, and much warmer than you or I are used to.”

Diana smirked, pulling her arm out of his grasp, “I grew up on an island Napi, I’m sure I can handle a little heat.” Her pace picked up, and Chief was glad to see a bit more life in her eyes.

“I hope you can, because we are going to the Sun’s lodge.”

\--

Napi’s mind wandered as he guided Diana towards an old motel. Both he and Diana needed a break, one that did not involve passing out. He charmed the bored twenty-something into letting them stay for the night, and soon he heard Diana snoring away in the bed beside him.

He remembered the first time he had met Steve Trevor.

_Napi ignored the curious looks, and snide remarks being tossed around behind him. This new batch of soldier boys didn’t seem to know much about him or the world, and that was going to cost them. Europe was on the verge of an even bigger war than one they were in now, he could feel it in the way the earth trembled under him, and the chills that ran up his spine every now and again. This war would be much more catastrophic than any other European war if he could feel it looming._

_The trenches were filthy, and Napi thanked Apistotoke every day for sparing him that particular lifestyle. Of course even the filthiest of trenches held good people, but Napi never seemed to find any. The soldiers here were just boys, snickering children holding too big guns and a bullseye on their chests._

_He could hear the thundering booms of the weapons and screams of the dead and dying, and wondered why the universe decided to spit him out here. Napi could have just as well been left with his people, but after the Massacre of 1870 he'd been forced into a brief hibernation. Stuck inside his own pocket of the universe, weak with hunger and grief, he hadn’t been able to choose where he landed once he regained his strength._

_Napi sped up, trying to get away from the stench of death that hung around the trenches, but something caught his eye. It was a boy, dead eyed and dirty, hanging on to his superior like his life depended on it. In his hands, a couple pieces of crinkled paper clutched in his hands. He was shouting something over the sounds of war, but Napi was too far away to hear. Napi inched closer, eyes dead set on this new interesting human, wondered why this boy out of dozens piqued his interest._

_Then Napi heard the boy’s accent._

_An America in the middle of Europe was to be expected, but an American this far into the frontlines was another thing entirely. Suddenly, Napi knew exactly why he had been left here of all places, because all he could see now was the white men that killed his people. He wanted to do a lot of things in that moment: turn back and act like the American wasn’t there, play an awful trick on the boy, turn into a coyote and remind him the nature was just as deadly as any war, but instead he just stood there._

_The boy’s superior sighed, and steered to boy towards Napi, “Chief, I’m gonna need you ta keep this one safe. He needs ta go back to England for reassignment and ta share some information he…acquired.” Napi’s heart sank; he cursed his curiosity for keeping him. Forcing a smile, he told the general that the boy would make it back safe and sound.  
The boy turned to Napi, and, at Napi’s stare, raised an eyebrow, “So, do they just call you Chief or are you actually one?” _

_Napi took a deep, calming breath, this was going to be a long trip._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARGHH im sooo sorry for the long wait guys. i had a lot to do last week and then i realized i both did and didnt know what to do with this chapter so im sorry and hopefully i get the next one out MUCH sooner than this one :( :)
> 
> come visit me on [my tumblr](https://sugarplum-lane.tumblr.com/) im on there a lot and i would absolutely Love to talk to you guys! <333
> 
> please leave me a comment and tell me what you think!! (ps u guys r great for sticking around with me!!)


	11. When the Past and Future Meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Napi and Diana remember old friends and empty graves.

Diana woke slowly from a dreamless sleep, one meant to preserve her strength and mend her wounds. She opened her eyes to the soft light of breaking dawn and wondered why her ceiling was stained. Then the fight with Steve rushed back to her, and Diana’s stomach dropped with the thought of blank blue eyes and Chief’s prone form curled up on the blackened concrete. She sat up, and felt her muscles scream in agony at the rough movement.

“Oh good! You’re awake. I was beginning to think The God-Killer had really done some damage to you.” Diana turned to see Napi standing in the doorway holding an energy bar and a cup of coffee, “It’s a good thing you’re waking up now; this is the perfect time to show up at the Sun’s lodge. He’ll be heading out to work, and his wife will greet us.” Chief made his way over to her bed, and sat down next to her. He shoved the energy bar into her hand, “You might want to take a shower first, though, and I doubt the Moon will be happy with you if you start bleeding on her carpet.”

Diana looked down at herself, she was still in her armor and covered in dirt and dried blood, “Okay, but after you have to tell me where we are going, and why we are avoiding the Sun.” Diana took a bite out of her energy bar, and groaned. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was, and Napi silently slid another bar into her hand. He sipped his coffee and nodded, then pointed in the direction of the a little room off to the side.

Diana got up and walked toward the too small bathroom. The tile was cold under her feet and the pipes creaked with the effort of giving her lukewarm water. Under the spray, Diana felt her mind wander to the events of last—how long had she been asleep?—night. She felt a dull ache in her chest at the thought of Aphrodite and Hestia’s fate, and a thrill of fear travel down her spine at the blank look Steve had given her. He fought like a monster, like something with no regard for itself or others. He was so different now, stronger and more savage, like a dog made to fight and fight until it collapsed under the weight of its own pain and anger. Looking back, Diana could see how this man could have been her Steve, the one who taught her that this world was not good nor evil; she could see it in the way he fought up close with his fists, how he flipped her over his shoulder and onto the ground like he did that soldier on the beach all those years ago.

In her mind’s eye she saw their first meeting, separated by foot of water and a sinking plane. A sad smile made its way onto her face as she rid the last bits of sleep from her eyes; it had been fitting, for a plane to bring Steve to her and take him away. It seemed fate had other plans, though, and Diana would find out what had driven the terror and confusion in his eyes, made him forget his own name, and fight his friends like strangers.

A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts, “Uh, Diana, I don’t want to rush you, but it takes a while to reach the Sun’s lodge and I really want to get there before he gets off of work.” Napi’s voice floated over the shower. Diana yelled back that she would be out soon, and quickly finished scrubbing the grime off of her body.

\--

Once Diana was dressed and out of the shower, she settled herself next to Napi once more, “Alright Chief, where are we going, and how long does it take to get there? And why do you not want to run into the Sun of all people?” she raised an eyebrow at the sight of her usually unflappable friend squirming in his seat at the mention of the Sun. Truthfully Diana had not known the Sun was a person, as far as she was taught Apollo just guided thing, but these last few days had changed quite a few truths.

Napi sighed, “It doesn’t take a long time to get there; the Sun’s lodge is everywhere,” he muttered something like _‘learned that one the hard way’_ under his breath, but Diana decided it wasn’t important, “and we could be there as soon as we walk outside, but if we suddenly vanished in front of a mortal that would not be good.” A smirk made its way onto his face, “It would be funny to watch their reaction; I haven’t messed with a human in a while.”

Diana fought a smile at the thought, humans were sometimes a little too easy to frighten, “Napi, be serious, and answer my other question. Why do we want to show up at the Sun’s house when he’s not home?” It seemed terribly rude to Diana to show up unannounced, but maybe these gods knew different home etiquette than the ones she shared blood with.

Napi looked away from her and said in a low voice, “The Sun and I are...not on the best of terms. I do not think he will be too happy with my arrival, even if it is with someone as heroic as you.” He ran a hand through his hair, pulling loose strands from the tight bun it was kept in, “His wife, on the other hand, is a bit more open to me and my…choices in life. She knows how to take a joke too.” 

Diana wondered just how many gods Napi had angered in his life, and how many of his jokes were just that. She stood up, “Well, we better get moving then. Daylight only lasts for so long, and we only have until sundown to get to the Sun and Moon’s lodge.” Diana turned to Chief and thought of Steve Trevor’s life before her and what he had lost in a godly war, “I have something important to tell you once we get there.”

\--

Napi had woken up before dawn with his heart pounding and sweat on his forehead. It had been a long time since a battle had shaken him so badly, but see a ghost of his past was an exception. When Diana had told Napi that Steve Trevor, the mud covered boy he had met in the middle a war, the man he watched sacrifice his life to save millions, he had not wanted believed her. Diana was a levelheaded woman, one of power and grace, but falling in love with a mortal is only a mistake a god makes once in their long, long lives. He remembered when any blue eyed man in plane made her eyes water and heart skip a beat; it had been long time since then, and Napi knew deep down that Diana was much smarter than she was in those wars. He knew she would not give into false hope.

He still did not want to believe her.

Napi remembered watching the plane rise, remembered praying and pleading for Apistotoke to be merciful on the white man about enter the realm of death, and felt Steve Trevor’s spirit leave the earth and begin his journey to whatever afterlife he had earned. Tears had pricked at his eyes, and something in his chest screamed with Diana in her grief; he remembered being young and foolish enough to love something as short lived as a human. Remembered the absolute devastation at watching them move on to somewhere you could never go. 

Chief shook his head, now was not the time to reminisce about lost loves and ghostly haunts. Turning to Diana, who had gotten a faraway look in her the moment they had passed what was once her apartment building. He knew she needed time to process exactly how far she had fallen from her normal life and into the waiting arms of the godly realm. His mind flickered back to The God-Killer and his cold eyes and methodical way of breaking down any defense Napi had; it was terrifying watching a man who should be unable to move force himself up onto shaking arms and stumble forward like a broken beast. It was even more so to think of that creature as Steve Trevor.

What had happened to him that turned him away from his friends and family and kept him alive and able to kill a god? When had he been snatched from the clutches of death and remade into the warrior he was now? Could Napi have given Steve the end he deserved or was he destined to become an unfeeling assassin?

Napi winced at Diana’s sharp inhale as they neared the park where Aphrodite and Hestia must have spent their final moments. He could feel the way the universe was bent out of shape and saw the gaping wound it held for the goddesses. Chief shivered as they walked past a groove of rotting wood and dead grass; it reeked of death and grief. Napi knew this happened anytime a god died, but it was always unnerving seeing the earth mourn the passing of such a powerful being. Steering Diana, whose face had begun to wobble, away from the goddesses’ graves, Napi readied himself for another strength sapping movement.

Deep in the cluster of trees humans now called a forest, Napi stopped, “Okay Diana, I’m going to bring us to the Sun’s doorstep, but I need to bend reality a bit for that to happen. If you feel a little tug all over, or like your mind is separating from your physical form, that perfectly normal.” Chief knew this was not the most comforting way he could have explained the galaxy rewriting itself around them, but tact had never been a strong point for him. Diana looked startled at the thought of being pulled apart by space and time, but nodded anyway. Napi smiled, Diana was never one to overthink the supernatural.

He grabbed Diana hands, and closed his eyes. Focusing on both their energy, Napi called upon the galaxy and all her lifeforms to lend him the power he needed. The ground beneath them flickered in and out of existence, the stars sung his name and the cosmos caressed his spirit. Diana’s hands began to trembled, and Napi could feel the edges of her being blur. He thought of the Sun and his fiery anger and righteous ways, of the Moon and the soft look in her eyes and the wisdom she held. Napi thought of Sky Country and all its eternalness, and willed himself and Diana there. 

The world sharpened suddenly, and air rushed back into his lungs. Napi opened his eyes, fighting off a rush of dizziness, and found himself standing in front of a large, bigger than any house Napi had ever owned, cabin house. Huh, looks like the Sun and Moon had renovated since the last time he had come to visit. It was pristine and cozy, and reminded Napi of life before industrialization and World Wars; he ignored the pang of sadness that hit him at the thought of his old life.

Napi turned to Diana instead, she was hunched over and wheezing like something terrible was stuck in her throat and halfway down her lung, “Oh no, uh, Diana, don’t worry, the molecules that make up your existence are all back and functioning.” he rubbed her back and felt guilt settle in his stomach, “I’m sorry that wasn’t smoother, but it’s over now, and the Moon is much better at comforting than me!” Diana heaved one more gasping breath, then nodded and stood.

Napi tugged Diana up the sloping driveway, and to the front door. Just as he was about to knock though, he felt a rush of nervousness. Napi hadn’t seen the Moon in a very long time; her husband’s mutual dislike for the trickster god made sure he kept away. Diana nudged him, “Chief, I am sure whatever has happened between you and the Sun it is forgiven, or at least of less importance than the death of two goddesses and the resurrection of a mortal.”

“You do not know the Sun very well, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait ive been doing summer homework and felt really burnt out these past few weeks but i wanted to get this out before school starts up again. also since school is starting for me soon you might need to start expecting a later update schedule the the weekly one ive been trying to enforce on myself BUT i will try my hardest to update this story as regularly as possible
> 
> also to the anon who sent me an ask on [my tumblr](https://sugarplum-lane.tumblr.com/) about this story i uuuhhh love you and and am sooo happy you did that it really brightened my day and made me want to finish this chapter <333
> 
> please send me a comment and tell me what you think they really fuel my love for this story and all of you <33


	12. Hot Cocoa is Delicious in any Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana experiences a reality hop, drinks hot cocoa with a goddess that is neither Hestia nor Aphrodite, and remembers the sound of silence.

Chief’s hands were ice cold and boiling at the same time; it hurt to touch and seemed to hiss at Diana the moment the ground beneath her crumbled away. The sensation, one filled with the death of stars and millions of black holes, traveled up her arms and spread to her chest. Diana’s heart hammered, and a horrible feeling of wrongness churned in her gut; just as she began to loosen her hold, though, Diana’s head buzzed and something whispered for her to hold on or she would cease to exist. In a strange detached way, Diana thought her limbs had disappeared and rearranged themselves, but then the moment was over and Diana came crashing back into herself.

The first thing she regained feeling of was the thudding of her heart as air rushed back into her lungs, and all her strength was sapped and returned in a spit second. Diana gasped and trembled as her blood resumed its natural flow, and trembled under the atmosphere of whatever layer of reality she had just traveled too. Chief had said something about molecules and atoms, but it came out muffled as if Diana’s head had been pushed underwater. 

A pair of hands, ones that no longer burned like stars or sent arctic chills through her veins, settled on her shoulder, and awkwardly started rubbing in little circles. Diana smiled at the thought of a god like Napi, one who could split space and time at the drop of a hat, not knowing how to properly comfort another living being. Come to think of it, Diana had never seen Chief when one of their own had been hurt on the field, he always seemed to disappear during the first screams and come back holding a stinking remedy that fixed even the gravest of wounds.

Bit by bit Diana’s strength returned, and Napi stopped rambling about the Moon and how the universe really seemed to like her, since it hadn’t melted her bones or erased her from existence. Chief started pulling her along, up a winding driveway towards a magnificent cabin-eques mansion surrounded by the tallest trees Diana had ever seen.  
They stopped at the large and imposing doorstep, and Chief seemed to shrink in on himself. Diana wondered just how badly he had wronged the celestial beings on the other side of the door; she tried to reassure him that whatever had happened between him and the Sun it was much less important than their mission to stop Ares and the God-Killer. Instead of believing her though, Napi just muttered something about leggings and Sky-People.

He knocked anyway, so Diana counted it as a victory.

They waited for a few minutes, but once it was clear no one had heard them, Napi knocked again. Another few minutes passed with no answer, and Chief was starting to look an irritated. He knocked a third time, with much more strength than Diana thought needed; the door rattled and just as Napi was about to land his fist on the door once more, it flung open.

“What is it now, Poia? I told you, for the first few hours of the day no visitors…” A woman in a flowing white dress stood before them, a dark hand flung over her eyes. Her hair, black as the night sky, flowed down her back and onto the floor in beautiful waves, and Diana knew she was looking at someone completely removed from either of the worlds she had sworn to protect.

Napi winced at the anger in her voice, “Uh, Ko’ko, its Napi.” The Moon, Ko’ko, looked up at that, and her eyes, the palest of blues almost silver and glowing in the early daybreak, widened. She stood to her full height, and stared at Chief for a moment, before her gaze slid to Diana. The woman seemed to stare deep into her soul, like she was deciding whether Diana was worthy to be in her presence; the way she looked at her, though, was not the condescending sneer Ares had thrown at her when she was young and naïve, but entirely otherworldly nonetheless. Ko'ko smiled at Diana, her eyes crinkling and freckles dancing across her face like constellations.

She turned back to Napi, “It’s been a long time, my friend. What brings you back to Sky-Country after all these lifetimes?” her voice was soft and a quieter smile settled in her face. Her forehead creased, “Is something wrong? And who is this beautiful demi-goddess you have brought?” Chief opened his mouth to speak, but Koko cut him off, “Oh, I’m so sorry, I never introduced myself. I am Ko’komiki’somm, goddess of the Moon, but you can call me Ko’ko. Please come inside, you look like you could use a place to rest.”

Ko’ko grabbed Diana’s hand, and pulled her inside. The inside of the house was just as magnificent as the outside, with high ceilings, skylights (so they could see each other, Ko’ko had commented, when they were apart), and a dying fire in the living room. Diana caught Chief’s eye as they were herded into the kitchen, and was surprised to see a small smile on his face when Ko’ko offered him and Diana some hot cocoa. Once the cocoa was served, and Napi had tied Ko’ko’s hair in a tight braid so it wouldn’t drag across the floor, she sat down across from them and waited for an answer to her questions. Diana cleared her throat, “I am Diana, Princess of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. Most people know me as Diana Prince, though, and we need your help.” 

The Moon turned to Napi, “ _You_ are asking me for help? It must be something gravely dangerous then, if the Trickster god has run out options. Tell me, who is hunting you?” both gods looked much tenser than they had a moment ago, and it seemed like all the warmth had been drained from the room. 

Napi took a sip from his mug, a childish thing with a cartoon coyote chasing after a roadrunner, “Ko’ko, you know the Greek goddesses, Hestia and Aphrodite have fallen, no?” at her nod he continued, his voice soft and deep, “Well, I was there when they fell, and I saw the God-Killer with my own eyes. He killed them, and I know Diana and I are next; I can feel it in my bones and smell it in the wind.” 

Ko’ko put her hand on top of Napi’s, “I know it is hard for you to come here, and ask for help. I will make sure my husband knows where I stand in providing you both refuge from the God-Killer.” She looked to Diana with ancient eyes, “There is something on your mind, Princess Diana, please share it.”

Diana’s stomach turned, and this time it was not the result of any godly interference, “Please, call me Diana,” she swallowed, “I wanted to ask if you have any way of knowing how the-the God-Killer came into being? What is he? A god? A mortal, or is he both? Wh-why does he not remem-” Diana cut herself off. Chief’s eyes had widened and a look of heart stopping fear flitted across his face, before a cold neutrality seeped into place.

Ko’ko’s eyes seemed to almost weep for her, “I don’t think you’ll like what you see, Diana. If what I think is happening you may need guard more than just your life.”

\--

After their talk in the kitchen, the Moon had yawned and apologized but said she need rest. She stagger upstairs and down one of the many halls, leaving Chief and Diana alone. The silence that ensued reminded Diana of the first few weeks after the Great War, when no one quite knew what do with her. She remembered sitting in Etta’s tiny apartment and wondering just what she was supposed to do now that Ares was gone, and, with him, her guide to man’s world.

_“I miss him too, you know.” Diana startled at the sound of her friend’s voice. Etta had taken the news badly, with silent streams of tears flowing down her face, and heartbreaking hiccups of breaths. She had also embraced Diana as a sister the moment she caught a glimpse of her dazed face and red eyes, “I’m sorry to tell you ducky, but I fear you may never recover fully from this. It will get easier, though, mark my words.” Etta sat next to Diana and gazed out the window with such melancholy, Diana had to break her silence._

_“How did you meet him?”_

_Etta eyes widened at the sound of her voice, rough as it was, and a sad smile made its way onto her face, “He had just become a spy, but hadn’t quite gotten the etiquette down yet. I had been a secretary for a dreadful old man at the time, you know how they can be sometimes.” Etta giggled, “He came rushing into the lobby, his voice loud and brash as all American voices seem to be. Yelling about German forces and planes like a ninny! I thought to myself ‘Why I have never seen a more foolish boy in my entire life!’ and I probably never will.” Diana stared at Etta’s face, the creases that had been an almost permanent fixture on her face had smoothed out; she looked much younger and more full of life, “Oh, but of course, in the end, he proved to be even more foolish than I had even imagined, but I believe we are much better off with a foolish Steve Trevor than a smart one.” Etta turned to Diana and grinned, “That must be a pretty boring story compared to how you two met! Why, I bet yours was filled to the brim with excitement and adventure!” she laughed again at the thought of how someone like Steve Trevor meeting a woman like Diana._

_Diana shook her head and murmured, “That may be, but yours was much nicer.” With that they returned to window watching._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guysss!! guess who only made you wait two weeks instead of a little over?? meeeeee!! im pretty proud of this chapter even if theres no steve :( there is Etta tho!!! also ive been trying to introduce Ko'ko for that last couple chapters but i could never do it right and now you guys get another god to think about! i hope you like her!!
> 
> Come visit me on my [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sugarplum-lane)
> 
> Drop me a comment and tell me what you think i read every one and love them all!! <33


	13. The Sun, the Moon, and All Other Beings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana and Napi disagree, the Sun and Moon get involved, and The Captain learns that ignorance really is bliss.

“He doesn’t remember us, does he?” Napi’s voice startled Diana out of her revere. She looked over to Chief, his face was carefully blank but his eyes, endless and full of life and death and all things in between, held her captive and begged her to prove him wrong. She looked away and nodded, Diana had never been able to tell just how close Steve and Chief had been, but the defeat in Napi’s voice and the sharp intake of breath was more than telling. He muttered something vicious and sharp under his breath, and balled his hands into fists.

“How did you know?”

Napi let out huff and turned back to Diana, “He was…different. I couldn’t even tell it was him, and I had been around him enough to know his soul’s natural rhythm.” He looked away from her again, “I hate to say it, but I know why I felt Steve Trevor’s soul leave this realm.” Napi met her eyes, and Diana felt a chill run down her spine, “Diana, the God-Killer may have his body, but Steve Trevor is still gone.”

Diana’s heart jumped to her throat, and her stomach dropped, “No…no, you are wrong…” that age old anger, the seed of wrath Ares had managed to plant in her spread through her veins at the thought that Steve Trevor was still out of reach. That he was still gone, and, even if his body was alive and working, he was just a memory, “You can’t really believe that-that, he has lived until now and found us, only for it to be an illusion!? For him to be a puppet that only sees a target, can you!?” Diana was shouting now, but the cold indifference on Napi’s face only fueled her anger, “No Napi, he has been brought back to us! How could you look at this gift and not take it!”

Napi cut of her rant, sadness and grief raging all over his face, “Because, Diana! While you fought him physically, I got a good look at the inside of his head. You think I don’t want him to come back!? You think I am glad that I was weak enough to not save him from a death alone in the clouds, where no one would ever remember him except two lonely gods!?” Napi took a step towards her, his eyes blazing and jaw set, “He is not there! I wish I could tell you that the Steve Trevor you loved was still around, that you could quest after his lost soul and retrieve it from the depths of Hades, but I cannot.” He put a hand over his face and closed his eyes, “Whatever being brought him back, did not bother with his memories or much else of what made him Steve Trevor. And if you are going to do what I know you will, please do not expect a man out of a corpse.”

Diana shuddered, a sudden wind ripped through the open window behind her, and all her anger left. She felt helpless, like she had on the beach while Antiope had gasped out her last words, like she had while Steve and Sameer and Charlie had ushered her away from sobbing children and screaming soldiers, like she had the moment that plane went up in flames. Napi’s eyes bore into her, and a sense of smallness surrounded her; he was so much older than her, a true god who had witnessed entire civilizations collapse into nothingness, and next to him Diana felt as mortal as a memory. 

“Diana, I know you can work miracles. It is what you were made for, but, sometimes, even miracles workers and godly weapons can only stand by as time passes.” Napi looked away, weary and much older than he had moments ago. All the fire seemed to have to have left him, and in its place an old man’s bones creaked, “You know, the reason I avoid Sky-Country is the same reason you have yet to return to Themyscira.” He sat down with a bitter smile, “I love the earth, and everything it holds dear and brings to life. I was made for the earth; it was my destiny to stray from Sky-Country and become one with its people.” Diana felt a pull in her heart and moved closer to her old friend, something in his expression pleaded for her to listen to what he had to say. He took her hand, “Gods like us though, ones who are as much a part of the world as humans, rarely get what we want.”

\--

Napi faded in and out of consciousness, the timelessness of Sky-Country always made him want to sleep for days on end. Either that or he became so restless from the monotony of it all, he would end up creating a new planet or wind with yet another decade long curse on his head. His mind wandered back to Diana’s outburst, and the look in her eyes when he declared the God-Killer a lost cause. It had been a long, long time since he had had to face against a reanimated being from his past, but it happened at least once in every god’s lifetime and Diana was no exception. He snuck a glance at her, but she was as lost in thought as he was, probably trying to figure out a way to save a hero’s lost soul. He could hardly blame her, but the sight made his chest ache in the fond way it did when he saw someone who was too mortal for their own good. Napi furrowed his brow, wasn’t Diana only part-

The door swung open.

A blast of hot air, and scorching desert sands, rushed over Napi. His mouth tasted like ash; only one person could sour his mood like this, “Naato’si.” He ground out. The heat in the house reached an almost unbearable height, but Napi had played this game before, and knew even the Sun had limits.

“Naato’si!” an angry voice called from upstairs. Napi grinned, he had always like Ko’ko, if only for the power she held over her husband, “Stop with that heat! I invited Napi and the Wonder Woman into our home, and they will stay here until they are ready to leave!” her footsteps were heavy on the floor, and the braid he had worked so hard on was lopsided and loose enough to tangled within itself. The Sun stiffened, and lowered the temperature begrudgingly. 

Ko’ko smiled at that then turned to Napi, “And you! Don’t think I don’t know you weren’t goading him on in some way! You may have made yourself scarce around here, but I still remember the day you earned your trickster god name.” Her eyes, pale as the stars, shone brightly with mirth and a long forgotten annoyance, then she turned to her husband and fell into his arms. They embraced and showered each other with kisses and gentle touches; Napi looked away, whether for their privacy or his own sanity he did not know.

Diana, who had been silent up until that point, stared at the two gods. He could see the longing and fondness in her eyes at the sight of the two star-crossed lovers, but also the beginnings of a plan forming in tilt of her head and the crease of her brow. She cleared her throat, “So, this is the Sun who Chief so desperately wanted to avoid? He seems like a perfectly good man to me.” Her eyes gleamed at the flinch Napi could not hold back, and turned her head so as not to see the glares he threw her.

Naato’si stopped whispering into his wife’s ear, and smiled an overgrown smile, “Why Napi, I never took you for a coward.” His voice was loud and sharp to Chief’s ears, “Then again, I wouldn’t want to be seen in the house of someone I stole from.” He paused, let go of his wife, and shrugged, “You were always an unorthodox god, though.”

Before Napi could react, and start another century long Sky-Country boycott, Diana cut in, “If you are the kind of god I believe you to be, one your wife knows you to be, then I do hope this petty squabble will end.” Her voice thundered in the soft but firm way all goddess’ tended to speak when they truly meant to be heard, “Please, I was wondering, since you are the Sun and must see a great deal of things, could you and your wife locate someone for me?”

\--

The Captain ran. He ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, until his legs gave out on him. War was expecting him back soon, but the Woman’s eyes followed him much closer than even War’s terror could. War had told him it was his purpose to kill gods, to bring them back from whence they came, but the feeling of the life slipping out of their bodies brought a sense of cold fear settling in the pit of his stomach. 

The Captain stumbled toward an old war memorial, the statues of the fallen and unmarked graves judged him silently, as if they knew what he had done and disapproved. The steel eyes of the soldiers followed him, and even when the ground swallowed him up he could feel the remnants of what he had done bearing down on him. The nausea inducing hurricane of color and pain ended abruptly, much faster than usual, and, for that, the Captain thanked War for.

He landed on his feet, but the exhaustion creeping up on him took its toll and he fell to the ground. The dirt on the ground, and the familiar sight of the Village filled him with a relief he had never known, but the sight of War standing above him removed all sense of safety. War made his disdain clear, a hateful sneer in his direction and the typical anger on his face was quickly turning to wrath, “Well?” his voice, loud and filled with more power than it had been before the mission, sent the Captain’s hands trembling.

He scrambled to attention, and spoke in a low voice, “Mission complete, sir.”

War mouth slid into something akin to a smile, but it was sharp and full of malice, “Wonderful,” he stepped closer to The Captain, and tilted his chin towards him, “Anything…strange happen?” War’s voice deepened, and his body loomed over The Captain like he was a child. The name the Woman of the Rooftop had called him niggled in the back of his mind, and her deep eyes sung to his heart; she felt like a treasure, something that needed to be kept from War and away from The Captain himself. It was a wonderful treasure to have, though.

The Captain had never felt the urge to lie to War, even when he knew telling the truth would only lock him on a rusted table or in a room filling with the gas, or worst of all, left alone to rot in the Village he loved and hated so. His mind, frazzled and broken as it was, begged him to lie or run or hide from War, but a mechanical voice, one that boomed with cold efficiency that left no room for argument, commanded that he tell the truth. The Captain began to tremble under the force of War’s gaze and the churning in his stomach, which hadn’t stopped since the last target was extinguished, seemed like butterflies in comparison now to the absolute horror he felt freeze his very being. He opened his mouth, a few incoherent babbles spewing forth, which only seemed to make War somehow even more displeased with him than he had before.

“Now, I thought I taught you better than to waste my time.” War grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked it hard enough for a squeak of pain to escape The Captain, “I asked you a question; tell me if anything strange happened on the mission, child.” War had only called him child twice in the time they had known each other. The first was when The Captain had been foolish enough to try and run from War, and another when he failed to live up to expectations after the pills effects stopped enhancing his strength and bloodlust.  
“Th-the Woman on the Rooftop, the one who fought me for the targets...who was she?” his voice was small and hoarse, barely above a whisper, but The Captain knew he had answered wrong. The grip on his face tightened, and The Captain felt his jaw creak under the pressure.

War’s eyes blazed with all the fire and fury in the world. Hotter than hell itself, a voice whispered in his mind with a snort. War pulled The Captain closer to his face, he could feel the heat of his breath and could smell death in the air, “Why would you care about a woman on a roof. She was probably hired to protect the goddess’; she is of no importance to you.” War growled out the word ‘importance’, like it had somehow committed a personal sin against him, and the ground rumbled with his voice.

The Captain’s blood ran cold at the thought of the Woman meaning nothing to him; he could have laughed at the absurdity of it all, if he weren’t paralyzed in the grip of someone legions stronger and more ruthless than him. He almost stopped the words from tumbling out of his mouth, but couldn’t quite catch them in time, “But I knew her.”  
The Captain knew that was the wrong thing to say the moment War’s smiled turned into something that cut his face in half.

“My dear boy, how could you know that woman, if you hardly know yourself?” War’s voice echoed throughout the Village, and the fear in The Captain broke into complete numbness. His fingertips and toes lost any meaning, and The Captain felt his soul try to escape at that moment. It should have known better than to test War.

The moment War’s hands turned to talons and his helmet to a bull’s horns, The Captain felt his mind begin to sear. It burned, burned so much more than when he woke up, or anytime those pills tried to set his insides on fire, even the gas paled in comparison to the absolute agony he felt. He begged a deity, one greater that War if there ever was one, to save him. The Captain did not care if the safety came in the form of death, all he wanted was for the burning to end.

His vision grew dizzy, but his voice went on strong and loud, louder than the boom of the capsule, or the bombs in the trenches, or the sound of a plane exploding. Dark eyes pleaded with him to fight, but for the life of him he could not recall why they felt important. The ghost of a song and a phantom weight on his wrist disappeared like ashes in smoke, and for once, The Captain truly knew nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall i did it Im sososososososooooo happy with this. ive been waiting for this scene since i began this story so i hope you all feel it like i did while writing it!! (sorry for the long wait i had a lot of reports and stuff due last coupla weeks)
> 
> Come visit me on my [tumblr](https://sugarplum-lane.tumblr.com/) and scream with me about poor steve (i promise i do love him!!)
> 
> Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!! I read every single one and they absolutely make my day!! <33


	14. Best Left Untold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Napi tells a story, and The Captain relives one.

Diana had demanded the Sun and Moon find Ares. A dark and festering anger steeped in the blood of and he knew that Diana would not hold back any strength she had at their nest meeting; the pain of the God-Killer’s stolen face was still too fresh in both of their minds. Napi knew without a doubt that Ares would come to regret stealing Diana’s first love the luxury of an afterlife, but just how Diana would exact revenge was a mystery.

The Moon had looked her in the eyes, pale and knowing as always, and nodded, “It takes some preparations to locate someone as powerful as another god, but I will do all I can to help in your quest to defeat Ares once more. You must remember, Diana, that you cannot rid the world of something as inherent to human nature as war. He will continue to rise as long as humans are filled with hatred and greed. Do not let you heart overtake your mind.” The Moon’s eyes flickered over to Napi then drifted out of the room.

The Sun turned to leave, but stopped at the door frame, “You both must be careful. I know you have witnessed Ares’ power, but he has a plan. I can feel the earth shaking and changing at his whim.” Naato’si gripped the door frame hard enough for it to crack, and the temperature rose dangerously, “I do not know what will happen, but yours is a dangerous destiny to fulfill, God-Killer.”

Napi watched the Sun leave, his overwhelming heat and cryptic words leaving a cold silence in his wake. Diana’s face hardened, “I know what you are thinking. I know you think Steve is gone and I am still pining after a dead man,” she looked weary, and much older than she had a moment ago, “but I am not a child nor am I unaware of how this world works. No one can tell me that Steve Trevor is out of reach, or that I am chasing after a dream that was never attainable in the first place, because I saw him.” she gripped Napi’s shoulder’s, her eyes wide filled with a desperate plea to listen and believe her, “He is still in there, and we can save him.”

Napi cupped her face, she was so strong and filled with such hope and love for this world and the next he wondered sometimes how a god like Zeus could have created a goddess like her, “I am old, Diana. I have lived many lifetimes, seen countless wars and endured the numbing pain of fading, but you always manage to surprise me.” He thought back to the years of sickness and starvation that plagued his people, when he had never spared ‘old world gods’ a second thought, when he was young and foolish and alone, “I find it hard to believe that a mortal could endure a remaking like that of the God-Killer’s, but if you believe the God-Killer can be saved, then I will fight as hard as I can for our lost brother-in-arms.” 

Diana smiled then, and whispered, “Thank you, Chief.”

They settled back in the living room. The fireplace flickered with dying embers and a cool breeze filtered in through an open window. Napi could hear the Sun and Moon rummaging around their gigantic cabin-mansion for the right flint stones, or tobacco; he rolled his eyes, those two were always so dramatic. He supposed that was why they had wed and stayed wed for a millennia. He wondered what their wedding was like, probably filled with any and every god they knew or wanted to meet. He could see the Moon making the most delicious of food for their marriage feast and working for hours on end to create the perfect moccasins, and the Sun, in return, would shower her in gifts and the beginnings of their now enormous lodge. “An unorthodox god.” Diana’s voice startled Napi out his daze, “Why did the Sun call you that, Chief?”

Napi sighed, it had been a long time since anyone had heard that particular story, “We are much more alike than one would think, you and I. Sky-Country was my first home, and, much like you, I longed for adventure and purpose. It found me in a different way, though.” Napi pulled from the universe, willed stardust to become dancing lights and human shapes, and breathed life into his oldest memories.

_“A long time ago, when the earth was still new, and the gods still wondered at life, I came into existence.”_ Napi’s voiced echoed in the darkness he had been born to. The stars, few and far in between, shined with loneliness and without the laughter they were so well known for. _“The world had not yet been fully formed, and the Creator asked me to help.”_ A light shone down and Napi remembered the booming voice of the Creator, warm and full of love and power. _“Young as I was, I did not know this was the beginning and end of my godhood. He told me to form our part of the world, where he would rule, and I would be hailed as the one that brought their home into existence.”_ He saw himself take the universe in his hands, and bring about his people’s very livelihood. _“I was so proud of my work, and would go down to the earth every chance I got. Eventually I grew attached to the people placed under my watch; this was a mistake.”_

The scene changed from the untouched earth, filled with trees and the scattered tipis and tobacco farms of his people to the majesty of Sky-Country. The Creator stood before, as awe-inspiring and impossible to describe as always, _“The Creator thought my…interest with his creations, and the fact that I had started to view them as my own, was improper. He told me I could choose where I wanted to be, for he shaped me as I shaped the earth.”_ The Creator was many things, but patient was not one of them, at least during Napi’s decision he had not been. Demanding an answer, Napi had blurted the earth and was put their second glance. Diana opened her mouth to say something, and by the dip in her brow Napi could tell it was something best left unsaid, especially in Sky-Country.

_“I loved being in the world I had formed, but I was also lonely, and very young. I taught the animals games and the coyotes’ trickery. They called me a demi-god for why would a god spend so much time on earth.”_ Napi had spent his time playing tricky games where he almost always won, and pranking any mortal, animal, or god he came in contact with. This had not made him very popular with most gods, but the people had taken his exploits as life lessons and warnings against the folly of mischief, _“This is where the Sun comes in. I had known him for much longer than I had known the earth, but the first time I had gone to his lodge was after I had earned my trickster name.”_ The cabin had been different then, no glass or modern amenities, in fact it had not even been a cabin; there was a fireplace though, and by it was the most beautiful pair of leggings he had ever seen. Maybe it was the fact that they glittered in any shone with the brilliance of Sky-Country, or maybe it was that they had come from a place he missed and still called home when he was alone in the dead of night, _“I had to have them; so I waited until nightfall, and ran off with the thing.”_

Napi moved his hands to make a new image, something to ease the sting of anger and embarrassment that hit him whenever he thought on this particular tale, but the sound of approaching footsteps stopped him. His concentration broke and the wispy figures dissipated and flew back to the stars they were born from. Both he and Diana turned to see the Moon leaning into the wall near the hallway she had come from, “I see we are telling tales of times best left forgotten,” Napi opened his mouth to protest that she had no part in this, but the Moon held up a finger, “I don’t care what you have to say Napi, it is over; and now? Now we hunt.”

\--

The room was dark and musty with disuse. A small fire, swaying with the nonexistent wind and flitting between a blazing blue and an acidic green, sat in the middle of the room. The dirt floor was soft and warm, like it had been waiting for life to seek it out once more. An old skylight, like the ones the Amazons’ used during festivals and hunting parties, shone with cool colors dusk. She wondered if night truly was approaching, or if this endless realm played as many tricks on its people as Chief had upon the world.   
Diana thought of Chief’s apathy towards the war when she had first arrived, his disregard for the profit he made from a war he refused to fight in, and wondered exactly when the god how loved this world enough to leave his own had become the man she had first met. Was this the fate of all gods left to the clutches of mankind? Did the old gods fear humans and their disbelief? Did they shut themselves away in faraway universes where they could only watch from afar? 

Diana stole a glance at Napi; he was leaning against one of the walls with a look of pure boredom and distaste. He was watching Naato’si and Ko’ko converse, rolling his eyes whenever Naato’si said something he found particularly annoying. A slight movement caught her eye just as she went to look away, her eyes darted to Napi once more and saw his eyes glow with the intensity of eons of life. The fire roared in return; Diana smiled, maybe that god was not so far gone as she had feared.

“Diana,” It was the Sun who approached her this time, his molten gaze holding her captive, “if we are going to locate Ares, we need your memories of him.” The Moon threw something into to fire that made it puff up and smoke, “More precisely, we need to know what his being feels like, and for that we need you.” 

Napi pushed off the wall, and stalked over to Diana and the Sun, “Naato’si, you and I both know well that you can track Ares without going into Diana’s head!” He jabbed a finger into the Sun’s direction, “I am not going to sit by and watch you dig around someone’s head you met three hours ago!” his voice shook with the echoes of the planets and stars endless melody. 

The wind picked up, restless and hungry for a fight, and a chill went down Diana’s spine despite how hot it had gotten in the last few seconds, “If we are going to find him before he finds us and attacks Sky-Country, Ko’ko and I need to know what to look for!” The Sun’s eyes flared and suddenly a god was standing before Diana, one who she was not destined to defeat. His dark hair shone like the sun itself and his dark eyes turned a deep gold, boiling and lethal as anything Diana had ever seen. Chief, no Napi, stood before him, steady as a mountain and overflowing with the galaxies power. They stepped towards each other, two eternal beings baring their teeth and ready to finally settle their age old dispute.

“Naato’si!” A sharp voice cut through the air like a knife, “There is no time for a battle! If what you feel is as urgent as you say it is, we must all work together.” The Moon walked in between the two gods, whose anger and power faded with each passing second, “Diana, I know that we are not close enough to be asking this of you,” The Moon took Diana’s hands in her own, “but this is the fastest way to find who you are looking for.” Diana looked down at their hands, rough and calloused with age and the will to fight, then to Napi, who met her gaze with such a pained look she almost refused right then. 

“It is my duty as an Amazon, and as a daughter of Zeus, to defeat Ares.” Diana felt a rush of power, like that first bolt of lightning she had caught zing through her veins, “I will do what I must.”

\--

“Glad to see you’re awake, Captain.” The Captain eyes fluttered open, the sky was dark and the sounds of gunfire rattled inside his head. War loomed over him, a look of utter disgust on his face. The Captain’s eyebrows furrowed, something about War was…different. He could feel the power rolling off of him in waves, every breath his took seemed to seep the air with the smell of metal and blood, and the sound of screams scraped over every word he spoke. “I have another mission for you.” His eyes, though, piercing and terrifying, filled with blood lust and berserker rage, froze The Captain to the core, “Are you willing to comply?”

Something like terror and something like hatred bubbled up in his chest and threatened to pour out his mouth. The Captain felt like he was falling, the ground rushing to meet him but the impact never coming. The swoop of his stomach and beat of his heart, infinite and horrifying, grounded him. War’s hand, cold and unforgiving, landed on his shoulder; in the back of his mind, The Captain felt a spark. A voice whispered to flee, to fight, to never give in, but The Captain knew better. Disobedience was a fool’s choice, and The Captain had learned that fools never prosper a long time ago.

The hand on his shoulder tightened, and The Captain wondered if this had happened before. His head tilted up, and felt his mind begin to lull. The voice’s whisper became a yell as it faded, begging him to do something, anything but this. A flash of dark hair and warm brown eyes flickered across his vision, gone in an instant and forgotten just as fast, “Ready to comply.”

His heart ached.

\--

The mission was simple.

Draw out the only enemy strong enough to threaten War’s mighty end to this world, and destroy her.

The plane hummed and rumbled under him, as The Captain flew towards his destination. Dead eyes roamed over the gears and switches, the echo of man wondered when planes got so complicated. The Captain blinked the thought away, planes had no importance to the mission, had no importance to his final mission. War would bring down humanity, and in it The Captain would be set free of all the pain and suffering they had caused.

A sudden fog set in, one that was so thick and dark no sane man would dare enter, but The Captain flew on. His mission parameters were clear. Find the island, lay waste to its inhabitants, and draw out the Wonder Woman. The fog seemed to condense around his plane, pushing with all its might against his will. Trying and failing to keep the island a secret.

His plane hit something, magic or some godly power pressed against him. It stunk of lighting and the ozone, but could not hold out against War’s strength. A beach came into view, golden and free of man’s touch, the sight filled him with a feeling he could not place. A heavy feeling, that weighed on him for no reason that The Captain could think of. His plane landed on the beach, loud and out of place beside the craggy cliff walls and soft sand. His dark boots, harsh and cold, hit the ground.

He could feel the island’s warriors rushing to meet him. Women who fought on horseback and with spears and arrows as the ancients had, stared down at him from atop the cliff. The leader, a woman in all gold called to him, asking what his purpose was here, in Themyscira. The Captain said nothing, his red clock flowed in the island breeze, and stabbed his sword into the ground.

The shriek of the dead howled in his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter tried to kill me three times while writing it. i had a pretty hard month and half but i decided the best way to fix that was to start writing again cause i love writing this story uuuggghhhh. but uuhhh something horrible happened. so i wrote like half of this chapter like last thrusday, and then on friday i sit down to finish it and guesss what?? ITS ALL GONE :D so this chappie is pretty different than its unoffical first draft.
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](https://sugarplum-lane.tumblr.com/) we can talk about Justice League and how they did my girl wrong, but also Barry Allen was a Goid
> 
> Please leave me a comment and tell me what you think!! You have no idea how those remind to write every time i come on here!! Plus I love them all with all my heart!! (ps. Flash....i was wrong there are Amazons)


	15. In Another World, In Another Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana dreams of home, and Napi experiences more emotions in fifteen minutes than he has in the past five decades.

Diana was floating. 

She could feel the sun of Themyscira beating in her shoulders, the worn leather of her old training uniform stretched over her body; it felt like coming home. Her mother, regal and full of love, smiled down at her, the tropical breeze flitting through her hair and the sea spray wetting her feet. Antiope too was there, bearing her scars like trophies and her weapons like old friends. The ocean swayed around her, like it was rocking her to sleep, and Diana realized she was on a boat. An old rowboat, with harsh words painted on the side, and blood stains on the floor. 

Etta Candy sat next to her, a crumpet in one hand and a report in another. She smiled gently and gestured for her to sit. Diana hadn’t realized she was standing. “Well dearie, I have to say you sure pack a real punch when it comes to things like these. I’m afraid you and the boys will be sent out again, can’t be helped I’m afraid.” Etta’s voice was odd, the usual warmth and cheer was dampened and her eyes were fever bright. Diana nodded though, her mind was muddled and slow, lulled by the ocean and sense of home. “What are you waiting for, ducky? Get a move on!” Etta tapped her knee, and ushered Diana out of the boat and onto shore.

The sand was cold. It was cold and hard, so unlike Themyscira that Diana almost turned right around to get back in the boat, but it was gone. Someone shouted her name, accented and slurred. Charlie waved her over, a tankard in hand. Diana’s boots were coated in mud, and the fur jacket she had been given dragged behind her. Her footsteps quickened, a cold breeze bit at her uncovered legs and face, but a warm and happy feeling lit up in her chest at the sight of her friends, of her brothers in arms. Charlie stumbled towards her, gin sloshing on the ground next to him. Clumsy feet kicked up snow, and he almost toppled over in his hurry to greet her, if not for Sameer appearing next to him.  
Sammy laughed, and muttered something into Charlie’s ear, grinning from ear to ear as he was pushed away. Diana felt a smile grow on her face, a laugh bubble up her throat. It had been a while since she had seen her precious friends, too long. The soft light of the dirty bar illuminated their faces, and Diana could see the hidden affection in the apple of their cheeks, saw the light in their eyes brighten when she reached them. Sammy kissed her hand and whispered softly to her about the two fools he had been persuading to help them, and in as many languages as he knew began to regale the tale of one of his many prospects over the years. 

Charlie swallowed a belch, and bumped his shoulder against hers, “Ya know lass, I thought you’d be on that island a yer’s righ’ about now.” He took another swig and pointed behind her, “Ah mean, look a’ it! Reminds me a Germany, it does.” Charlie stumbled off, shoes clacking against the cobblestone street. Sameer trailed after him, winking at Diana that he’d better make sure that fool makes his way back home and not into another bar fight.

Diana nodded, but had stopped listening. Her eyes were locked on the sea, the warm sun had turned dark and gray, clouds like blankets covered the sky, and heavy rain and snow fell from the sky. The waves, ones that had rocked her to sleep every night as a child, were rough and unwelcoming. A sailboat sat in the harbor; it was old and well cared for and heart-stoppingly familiar. The sail, yellowed with age, was battered by the harsh winds, but still obeyed her every command. The sea railed against her, pushing and raging for her to go back to the bar, to the world of man, but Diana was determined. 

Themyscira was in danger, she could feel it in her bones, felt it curl in her stomach and gurgle in her throat. The acidic taste of war and death caught on her tongue, and adrenaline thrummed through her veins at thought of her sisters being attacked by something they could not handle. (Something they could not handle? They were The Amazons! Zeus’ mighty warriors and triumphant over all, were they not?) Her mind conjured up images that had plagued her as a child, images of something more powerful than her Queen mother, something with more battle knowledge than her aunt, and more cunning than that of the best spies. The images culminated in Ares, standing over her mother in chains, and her sisters dead or dying or worse.

Themyscira came into view, as bright and wonderful as ever. The waves calmed and with them, her mind. Her home was safe, untouched by man’s wars or ways. Diana’s eyes roamed over the island, saw the old broken corpses of German wartime boats washed up on shore, the craggy mountain side, and the tops of buildings peeking just over the horizon. She smiled, all was well. Her mother called out to her, far away and frantic, but Diana’s heart had just slowed down and it was hard to get worked up again, especially in the face of the tranquil beauty of her childhood home. Again her mother called out, this time harsher and filled with panic, and Diana tore her eyes from the billowing clouds lazing in the sky to Themyscira’s tallest cliff. 

Diana looked up, towards her mother and aunt, towards her home, and saw Death.

She saw him looming over Themyscira, dark and filled with contempt for the living. His scythe poised to reap the souls of her sisters, and turn them against each other. The waves under her, once clear and pure, were now thick with blood, and the air was filled with the screams of the dead and damned. Diana’s heart stuttered, her mother was fighting valiantly, beautiful in her danger and graceful in the face of such a powerful foe, but something deep in Diana’s bones told her she would not leave this battle a reigning queen. 

A cold glint caught her eye, something inhuman and reeking of war and death was approaching her mother. A jagged and blood soaked sword gripped in its hand, lying in wait for the kill so many had tried and failed to take. The creature moved like a wraith, undead and untouchable in the carnage surrounding it, intent on destroying the first home Diana had known. A shout caught in her throat, her hand moved to reach out to her mother, to warn her of the harbinger of death lying in wait behind her. Time slowed as the creature attacked her mother, using the most ruthless and efficient means to end Hippolyta. Their blades met, sparking and filled with bloodlust, and Diana felt more than saw her weakened mother succumb to the horrible thing.

A plane exploded in the distance. 

\--

Napi was getting impatient. The Moon and Diana had been standing stock still for the past ten minutes, and the silence was uncomfortable. Both he and the Sun had refused to leave the room while the two goddess’ minds melded, but any truce between them was not enough for more than an uneasy silence to settle over them. The Sun was leaning against the opposite wall, and staring straight ahead, ignoring Napi and keeping an eye on his wife; it was getting annoying.

The Sun, in Napi’s opinion, had dulled over the past couple centuries. He used to set Napi’s teeth on edge, every word that came out of his mouth used to grate at his ears, and make his blood boil. Now though? The Sun just seemed…boring, unconcerned with him or their history. He carried move daylight over their people’s land, burned a few tourists, and went back home to his wife; he barely threw insults at Napi that were more creative than blatantly naming his faults.

Napi let out a puff of air, where did the spark go?

“What are you moping about, Napi? Scared your Wonder Woman will leave you once this quest is over?” The Sun didn’t look away from his wife, but an annoying smirk slid onto his face, “Or is it the fact that once you leave Sky-Country, your pride won’t let you come back for another four thousand years?” He’s going through the motions, Napi can tell by the uninterested look in his eyes as he says it.

“I’m not in the mood for this, Naato’si.” Napi says under his breath, the Sun used to be so fun to rile up, but it Naato’si wasn’t going to put any effort into his insults then Napi had no need for him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Sun startle, his head whipping around to look at him. A crease found its way into his forehead, and Napi felt a thrum of satisfaction at getting Naato’si to really look at him.

The Sun uncrossed his arms, and pushed away from the wall, “And what does that mean, Napi?” Naato’si’s eyes burned a hole in his forehead, but the feeling of hatred curling in his gut still felt routine. Napi looked away, into Diana’s blank eyes and wondered if she was having a more interesting time than he was. The niggling fear for her, fear that the Moon would damage or taint her memories, was pushed to the back of his mind; he trusted Diana’s judgement. Besides, finding out why the Sun was so boring now was a much more pressing matter.

A sneer tugged at his mouth, “It means what it means, Naato’si.” The words came out harsh, but Napi could barely find it in him to glare. He missed the Sun’s cutting words and painful burns, the kind that left scars and made Napi think before he started another fight. Something like nostalgia hit Napi remembered their fights centuries before; they were explosive and time stopping. Gods and goddess’ from every part of heaven and earth would gather to watch, placing bets and or simply watching in morbid curiosity. 

The Sun had made his way over to him, his glare filled with less fire than usual and his fist loosely clenched, “You never call me by my given name.” Napi shifted, but the Sun grabbed his wrist, “Answer me! What do you mean you’re not in the mood! You’re always in the mood for a fight!” His wrist burned; not enough to leave a mark that would last more than a few seconds though. 

A stroke of anger colored Napi’s vision for a second, he had forgotten just how needy and persistent the Sun could be, “I’m saying that I don’t want to fight you, and you don’t want to fight me either!” Napi wrenched his arm away, and at the Sun’s stunned looked Napi let out another sigh, “This used to be fun. You used to be fun to get anger, to pick at and not hold back. Now though, Diana is here, and Ares is alive, and you’re just boring!” He was shouting by the end of it, Old Magic tingling at his fingertips, the stars holding their breath for the fight that wouldn’t come. Napi crossed his arms again, “You make me angry, Naato’si, but not like you used to. You don’t make my toes curl with contempt, or my fingers twitch at the thought of you falling for one of my tricks anymore.” He looked the Sun in the eyes, something he could barely do when he was younger for fear of starting another fight just wipe the stupid grin of his face, “If we hated each other like we did when the earth was new, the Moon would not have been able to stop us.”

The Sun stared at him, slack jawed and eyes pinched. His eyebrows drew together, and anger and shock warred on his face. Napi rolled his eyes and let him work out just what he had meant, because he truly did hate Naato’si, but something had changed. Finally the Sun gathered his thoughts, “I am not _boring_!” The room heated up, but Napi refused to take the bait, “You think we don’t hate each other anymore? What does that mean? We’ve always hated each other!” The Sun was advancing on Napi, his footsteps leaving scorch marks on the floor. Napi felt his shoulders tense, and something like excitement and true rage began to take over, but he kept his gaze turned away from the Sun, he had always hated being ignored. Napi could feel the universe preparing for a fight, and sharp smile cut a line through his face. He had been waiting for this.

The fight never came though, because at that moment, Diana and the Moon ripped apart.

\--

Diana’s body hit the floor before her mind caught up with her. The dull ache anchoring her to reality, and the dawning horror that something was terribly, terribly wrong kept her from blacking out altogether. Her head pounded, an all-encompassing pain that echoed down her spine and rattled in her ribs, and something cool and wet streamed down her face. Diana opened her eyes, shaking hands touched her cheeks and she realized they were tears; she was all too aware now of the heavy pounding of her heart and the deep seeded pain of longing and grief wracking her entire being.

Napi was next to her in an instant, anxious but never getting to close to her, always just shy of reaching out to her, of offering a comfort she knew he did not know how to handle. She could see the anger in his face, saw the uneasiness at her tears, and wondered just how long it had been since he had had to worry about someone other than himself. The way his hands trembled in sync with hers, whether in anger or fear she did not know.

When her mind had cleared enough for more than buried memories and Napi’s mysterious past to occupy her, Diana realized the Moon was hurriedly whispering to her husband, their hands clasped together and near white in their intensity. The frantic sounds the goddess’ hushed voice, and jittering movements, stilted and stiff, brought forth another wave of pain washing over her. Diana could hear her mother’s voice, calling out to her, and a jolt of fear went down her spine and settled in her stomach. She grabbed Napi’s hands, and pulled him closer to her, “We have to leave now, Chief!” Scrambling to her feet, Diana pulled him up with her, heedless of the dirt and dying embers under them. She pulled him towards the door, away from Sky-Country and towards a world that made much more sense than this one, if only a little.

Napi’s stunned expression quickly melted into something worried and filled with adrenaline, “What’s happening, Diana?” His grip tightened in hers, but she ignored him. When he saw Themyscira, he would know, but first they had to get there in time. She pulled at him again, using more strength than she would if the situation were not more dire, “Diana! Tell me what is happening!” Napi dug his heels in, refusing to move and wasting precious time. They had to move, they had to get to Themyscira, her mother and sisters needed her! The Moon moved to grab Napi, to explain just what was happening, but Diana had enough of meddling gods and goddess’, whether in her family or Chief’s. “Diana, please! I can’t take us anywhere if I do not know where we are goi-” Napi’s protest was cut off with a squawk as Diana heaved him over her shoulder. He froze for a moment, stunned that she would decide picking him up was the best course of action, but Diana was not in the mood for his indecision. She moved towards the door, ignoring the Moon’s frantic yell to wait and the Sun’s sharp bark of laughter behind her. The extra weight made her wobble, and Napi’s renewed protests and angry shouts to let him down hindered her, and she was almost at the door before proper reason took over. 

“Chief, we must go to Themyscira now! I saw Death there, and something just as dangerous!” Diana voice was rough with emotion and her body shook with fear for her home, but she was ready for the oncoming fight. Napi tensed in her grip, his flailing legs stilled and hands moved to push away from her. Diana dropped him, but was too intent on defending her home to feel any remorse. Napi look her in the eyes, and saw something that made him breathe sharply. The feeling of Chief’s cold fingers on her temples and the determined look on his face was all the warming she got before the fabric of the universe tore itself around her to meet Napi’s will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Hanukkah! And a jolly Kwanza to all! I hope your happy with a an extra gift appearing in the dead of night!! 
> 
> Anyway about Napi and Naato'si's little section...i dont know either. It just sorta happened, and it was really fun to write tbh. I might write some spin offs with these two and my other kinda-kinda-not ocs. you know, in universe stuff. itll probs be between this story ending, which it seems to be coming to a close pretty soon, and the sequel ive been thinking about since the like fifth chapter!! if you guys want some little in universe one shots or have some requests for that type of thing feel free to tell me in the comments or on [tumblr](https://sugarplum-lane.tumblr.com/) or whatever! I would love love love to show you guys more of the world ive kinda created!!
> 
> Leave me a comment and tell me what you think, i read every single one!! <33


	16. New Life, Same Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana's past sneaks up on her and Napi rediscovers a piece of himself.

Diana’s entire being, her past and her present, swirled around her. Fingers grasping at her chest, clawing at her insides to stay close and safe, while the universe wrapped itself around her and Napi. It was a searing type of pain that hurt so much she could barely feel it, setting in a panic that was entirely unique to Napi’s godly powers. Her heart thumped in her chest, and she could feel the definite lines of her body and mind intertwine with ancient stars and heavenly beings. Diana wondered absentmindedly as she watched her own memories play around her, filtered in grayscale and muffled, if she were ever meant to see the universe like this. 

Napi grimaced, and Diana could see the dip in his forehead out of the corner. She opened her mouth to say something, but even with all her god given strength she couldn’t seem to voice her thoughts. Napi’s cringed and his hold on Diana tightened; the fingers on her temples multiplied and elongated, stars appeared in her old friend’s eyes so bright something primal and full of fear screamed at her to look away. Napi’s own shape distorted galaxies swirling around his mouth and the essence of life graying out the hard lines of his face. 

Diana was awestruck, and utterly terrified. How had she not known that Chief was not of man’s world? How had she missed the utter power and seemingly all knowingness in the crinkle of his eyes? She could feel the stars snickering behind her, laughing at her ignorance, at the complete naivety she held when she had first stepped into the human realm. Another memory flitted past her eyes, slower this time, and much clearer. 

_The German alarm sounded. Its shrill voice cutting through the serenity of the forest around it, and waking any and all soldiers inside to find the source of the sound. Find the intruder. Diana felt her stomach drop, every light inside the camp had turned on, the spotlights illuminating the surrounding woods would no doubt alert the Nazi’s of their position. Charlie cursed quietly behind her, lifting his sniper rifle to his eye._

_“I knew this would happen.” She heard Chief whisper. Diana’s head snapped towards him, the stiff braid her hair was in smacking her in the face. Something was off about his voice, it was too loud and at the same time couldn’t have been over a whisper. Chief got up, the dirt crunched softly under his worn boots. Diana opened her mouth to tell him to stay put and with the team, but the words caught in her throat. She could only watch as one of her closest comrades went off on his own, while in enemy territory._

The memory cut off abruptly, and flew away from her, but Diana remembered the rest of that night. It was nothing short of a miracle one of them hadn’t died during that fight. The Nazi’s had located their camp, and hordes of men came marching out of the mouth of the gate. All of them young and baying for blood. Her team, her family, was clearly outnumbered, and though she was hated to admit it, much too old, to take on such an army.

_A shot rang out. Diana’s heart stuttered, her head whipped around, taking catalogue of her team’s very alive and breathing faces. The smell of a smoking gun hit her the moment her eyes met Charlie’s. He grinned at her, “Ah may be a bit rusty, but those bairns’ve got no real experience. The lot of em won’t last, not against us, lass.” He said that with sharp eyes, but Diana could hear the waver in his voice, the old fear and muscle memory fighting to take over his every move and to trick his mind._

_Most fights ended up blurs in her memories. What exactly happened and when were always relevant and seemed to float away from her in the end. The only battle that truly stuck in her mind, the one that seemed ingrained in her skin, writhing and crawling up her back, was her fight with Ares. This battle, one of the last with her first team, though, had its own way of staying alive in her mind._

_It was utterly bizarre. Bullets grazed her, and the Nazi soldier boys ran at them with bloodlust and fear in their eyes, heavy artillery in hand under stiff joints, but not one of her boys got hurt. After the battle, when Diana’s heart would ache with the loss of life, even if that life was cruel and evil, she would find her team. Charlie was hidden in a very hastily thrown together sniper nest, a dead boy laid next to him with a face full of hard lines. She wondered briefly, for that was all she could ever muster was half a thought for the Axis Powers these days, if he thought what he was doing was right, if he looked at the people in the death camps as nothing more than pests, was he aware of the atrocities he was committing? Did any of them? There was no Ares to blame for men’s hearts turning to carnage and waste this time._

_Diana looked away._

_Charlie stood up, grunting at the twinge in his joints from staying so tense for so long. Diana started to help him up, but the moment she reached out to him he waved her hand off. “I don’t need your help lass, not yet anyway.” He muttered quietly. Diana nodded, wanting nothing more than for that to be true, but even she was not unaware of the passage of time. She could see it in their faces, the weariness in their movements and lack of energy. It made her heart weep knowing that out of all her earthly friends, she would remain.  
“Have you seen Sameer?” Charlie didn’t even bother to look away from where he stood. He just continued brushing dirt off of his kilt and jabbed a finger towards the mouth of the prison. Diana patted him on the back and ran off towards the camp. Diana breathed a sigh of relief at seeing him unharmed in one of the lookouts. She could hear Sameer whispering to himself as he worked on the internal alarm systems. She called out to him, and found that he had already disabled communications with German command as well as alerted the nearest set of Allied forces of their whereabouts._

_With that out of the way and all German forces taken care of inside of the camp, Diana set out on her final task: Find Chief. He always seemed to disappear during close encounter, only popping into view to throw a knife into someone’s back or blow up a blockade you had been cornered by. This time felt different though, somehow. He had left before the fight in a fit of hot air and ice in his eyes; no one had commented on his leave, but Diana knew by now that her team was far too used to Chief’s mysterious nature. Her feet carried her towards the vast sea of trees outside of the camp’s grounds, towards a grassy knoll with a rather familiar dip going for miles. Kneeling next to the old trench, in the silence of the forest, Diana allowed herself a moment of peace. This here, this piece of history showed that what she had fought for so long ago was for something, that her and many others’ sacrifices had been meaningful, if only in stopping a type of human madness she feared she would never understand._

_The soft crunch of stiff dirt alerted her of Chief’s presence. He looked exhausted, eyes sunken and legs trembling with the effort to keep himself upright. There was a certain power to his gaze though, and a shot of respect and animalistic fear ran through Diana in the split second it took for her to recognize. She was tired as well, though, and high off a battle. It surely meant nothing._

The sandy grounds of Themyscira came up to meet Diana in a cacophony of screams and the shattering of bones. Her head spun violently and her stomach twisted to catch up, the sounds of screeching metal and war cries not helping the matter. Dian tried to focus solely on protecting her home, on joining the fray and defending her island, a dream she had since she was child. Eventually, and much quicker than the first time, Diana gathered her bearings. It was a picturesque day, warm sand gathered under her calloused fingers, and the echo of the eternal summer breeze flitted through her hair.

The setting did not set the scene.

There was carnage everywhere, bodies of the enemy and her sisters, few but much too many for Diana’s liking, strewn about. Dark blood splattered over the side of the craggy cliffs and weapons from all eras of man lay forgotten next to piles of bones yellowed with age. They were fighting the dead, she realized with a breath of disbelief. Diana felt more than saw her sisters battle. She could feel a new type of adrenaline course through her, it was intoxicating and utterly addictive. Her vision swam and sharpened at the same time, and a strength Diana hadn’t used since the War coursed through her. Diana realized that for the first time in a long time she could go all out.

Diana’s legs propelled her towards the closest battle, her sword positioned to kill and defend. Diana’s movements blurred as sonic booms rang out as her bracelets made contact, and the hoard of decaying masses before her. She could feel her sisters’ gaze on her, something she had longed for in her days on the island, and pride hummed pleasantly in her bones. This is what she had been borne into, been made for though she was loathe to admit it, and the Amazon inside her screamed in ecstasy at the sight of her enemies’ dwindling numbers. 

Diana mind had zeroed in on her sole need to protect her home from these invaders, and to make her people proud, to show them all she was worthy of the tiara she wore. Her arms stung with her straining muscles and blood dribbled down lazily from a lucky strike an old Samurai had gotten in, she wondered if her legs looked any better. Diana slid under the spear strike of skeleton in traditional Zulu clothing, and a medieval knight thrusting his sword near her abdomen made the mistake of getting a little too close to striking distance. Diana jumped to her feet, throwing her shield at the knight’s head, and her leg towards the Zulu warrior’s chest cavity. 

Moving towards the middle of the field, towards her mother Diana could feel a sense of impending doom shutter in her chest, and the sound of boots slapping against the cliff face next to her only intensified the feeling. Diana spun towards the sound, fully expecting to see another army of men and women in armor or camouflage bearing anything from makeshift slingshots to the newest edition of military grade weaponry. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that would meet her though, no previous battles, nor any tale from a long forgotten war her mother had told her as a bedtime story. Breath left her lungs, and Diana stumbled backwards, nearly dodging an all too familiar attack. The both stood still for a split second, the woman, or what once was a woman, staring at her with soulless pits for eyes and white bone showed through strips of dead flesh hanging off of her.

Diana trembled, and with a voice that shook with emotion, “Antiope…”

\--

Napi stood near the water, the waves lapping at his feet. Themyscira had been a lot tougher to locate than he had originally imagined. He had underestimated the power of Zeus, another Creation god like himself had created this place and the barrier protecting it, and his last child, from the horrors of man. Napi hated to admit it, but they were lucky Ares had already ripped a hole in the barrier for The God-Killer to slip in through, or they might have never been able to find the elusive isle of women.

Napi grimaced at the bitter taste the name Ares left in his mouth. He was being annoying. Napi knew how to find another god, he knew how to call for one, but Ares was ignoring him. It was infuriating to say the least, and he wanted to throttle the insolent god for dismissing his invitation to battle. Even more, he didn’t even seem to be on the island itself, which was worrying on its own. If Ares was not in the place he had been planning to annihilate for the past however many centuries, where could he be? It didn’t quite matter now, but Napi could feel something building, something sinister and filled with bloodlust. 

Turning his head towards the top of the cliff overhanging his current position, Napi briefly wondered how Diana was doing. There were a lot of dead warriors crawling around the island, enough to overwhelm even the Amazons if they let their guards down. He starting walking towards the hill leading towards most of the noise, asking himself why he was getting this involved in European affairs, but at the sight of Diana’s bright outfit gleaming in the sun, he remembered.

Old Magic began swirling in his fingertips, filling out the hollow parts of his being and clogging his throat. Napi could feel the sun watching him, though he wondered which one resided over Themyscira seeing as it was most definitely Greek and Roman territory. His muscles twitched with the force it took to keep the Old Magic from overwhelming his rational side. Slowly he formed a being of pure light, four legs, sharp teeth, glowing eyes, and a tail. A golden coyote stood before him, bigger than its mortal counterparts and a thousand times for deadly; Napi looked it in the eyes and sent it off into a quieter part of the island, its hide darkening to hide it from the prying eyes of a certain god.

That got his attention alright. Napi could feel Ares’ eyes on him as he wandered closer towards the carnage. He could feel his control slipping, at this rate he would begin attacking anything that moved, and that was not something he wanted to be remembered for. Taking off at the speed of a bullet, Napi formed an old explosive in his hand, and threw it towards the nearest group of skeletons. The sound of thundering explosives joined the multitude of sounds in the already chaotic battle, and Napi could feel his physical form beginning to flicker in and out of reality. 

Napi grinned to himself, as more and more explosives were thrown into the battlefield, as his knives found their target, and as the Old Magic that lay dormant for so _so_ long in his body finally found an outlet. Time slowed down then sped up at random intervals, and the sky darkened as he moved from enemy to enemy; he had always hated war for what it did to him, but the Trickster god could never deny that battle was something he excelled at.

Somewhere in the distance, a coyote howled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll remember that memory from like chapter five?? Me either tbh, but i finished ittttt. January really wiped me out guys, i got my wisdom teeth out, i had finals, and other fun stuff. but i am here to bring you your (late) dose of Diana feels as well as Napi who is always just here for the ride! Hope you guys liked it!! (also happy valentine's day!!)
> 
> Yell at me to update on my [tumblr](https://sugarplum-lane.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Please leave me a comment and tell me what you think!! I read every single one and they fill me with love!! <33


	17. Time is Relative, but not Your Time with Me...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana confronts her past, Napi struggles to stay in the present, and Ares looks to the future.

Napi used to love to fight. When he was younger, in a world more open to higher powers and magic, more open to him, he would wrestle with bears and have foot races with rabbits. Teaching the animals games and cheating them out of anything and everything only to throw it away once he grew bored of it. Naato’si would glare down at him from his perch, but he could hear Apollo and Helios laughing behind the heat. Though it was fun, tricking animals was also good way to get onto the Sun’s nerves. Tricking humans, though, was really the only way to get him away from Sky Country and into Napi’s waiting fists. Fighting was something that anyone could understand, even the simplest of creatures, like fish or insects, could feel fear and anger coursing through their bodies, and gods were no exception. 

Napi was not a vengeful god. He had no interest in seeing species die off or to topple empires with his bare hands. He saw no point in meddling with human affairs, lending them his power only to strike them once they’d had their fill and gotten complacent. It was a cruelty that he found no joy in. The gods that partook in that, the ones that created heroes and villains and ruined lives, gained their power and happiness from bloodshed and bitter tears, lived off the adrenaline of a good fight and continuously begged for more, more power, more agonized screams, _more more more._

That lust for battle usually ended their lives. They would lose themselves completely, become the monsters their heroes would eventually slay, or slip into the depths of Tartarus like all deformed deities eventually do. Ending up in a place where their eternal rest never comes, locked in battle with ancient beings whose minds were too muddled and twisted to make out more than the taste of blood on their mouths and the gaping wounds in their hides was not a place Napi wanted to end up. That reservation, one all gods adhere too, was slowly slipping from Napi’s mind at the moment. A red haze was overtaking his vision, his teeth sharpened and he began to lose himself. The atoms that made up his being, one of the first to have been breathed into existence by the Creator, sang for blood, for retribution. His fingers twitched around blades and spears, rifles and ticking time bombs; he was overextending himself, but it felt so good. To see the sparks of Old Magic fall out his mouth, feel it set his veins on fire and fill his eyes with the stars that sang his praises, was something Napi had not felt for a long long time.

Something whispered in the back of his mind, something familiar that made his heart lurch in a funny way, it pleaded for him to stop. To think about why he was here, in a European god’s sanctuary, just what he was fighting, and who he was fighting for. Napi’s atoms froze at that, then rushed together so quickly Napi jerked forward, barely missing the edge of jagged spear. The voice made its way to the front of Napi’s mind, louder now and much more annoying, seething at him for coming so close to becoming a Berserker. His claws shrunk and the ridges of his spine snapped back in place as the red bleed from his vision. Sweat was rolling down his cheek, and suddenly Napi realized how tired he was, how many weapons and recently still corpses trailed behind him, how many of them were torn apart and flung in different directions, saw the scorched land and blood dripping off his body. 

The battlefield looked as though a creature from the depths of Hell crawled into the mortal realm and laid waste to whatever came near it. He had only ever seen this sight from the eyes of someone never confronted with the high a true battle could produce, and knowing he had created this made Napi’s chest thud uncomfortably. The sound of the battle raging on around him came back all at once, morphing into a cacophony metal grinding against metal, screeching and screaming. The creatures kept clear of him, the last shreds of their human consciousness urging them to steer clear of the angry, vengeful god standing in the middle of the field. Even the Amazons, who by now must know he is fighting for them and their princess, direct themselves as far away as they can get without drawing attention to themselves. A shudder runs through his body, icing his veins and weakening his knees, at the thought of being the type of being that inspired fear. The type of being that revels in something as primitive and deplorable as the feeling of blood between one’s teeth. 

It terrified Napi, to be terrifying. 

A feeling of terror swept over Napi at the thought. Then the hairs on the back of his neck raised, and he realized it wasn’t just disgust with himself that had him falling to his knees. His arms began to tremble, shaking with such force he could barely keep himself up; Napi’s vision whited out and narrowed. 

_He opened his eyes to a vast sea of blues and grays. Looking up and up and up, he saw something dark as death and just as powerful. It loomed over him, and Napi felt his hackles raise and lips pull back in a savage snarl. Growling and crouching low to the ground he circled the being. It watched him with contempt and malice, it hands clenched into fists before it started toward something behind. The thing behind it was still as death and smelt like a burning corpse, like a tar factory working overtime. It was unnatural, and the god in Napi raged against such a thing existing outside of its mortal bonds. The powerful being turned back to Napi, opening its mouth in a wide (much too wide for anything but a monster) smile. Its teeth lengthened into knives before turning and biting into the creature’s neck. Blood dripped from the beings maw and a deep dark laugh bubbled out of it, before it turned and disappeared into the smoke surrounding Napi. The world began to dim around him, blurring at the edges before flooding closer and closer; the last thing Napi saw was the creature’s piercing blue eyes gazing up at him from where he lay, hands scrabbling for purchase and it tried desperately to get up. Tried desperately to follow the being that wanted only to destroy it._

Napi gasped as he hit the ground. Something terrible was about to happen, something deadly and destiny changing. Ares was gone; the coyote in him growled at the thought of losing such an obvious trail, but the petty loss was overruled by a new emotion, one Napi had not felt in a very long time: fear. Not fear for him, of course, Napi was near indestructible, even if he did get Old Magic withdrawals every once in a while. His heart though, or whatever allowed him to breathe and function, was pounding faster than Naato’si snapped after he found out Napi cheated in a game of Shinny Stick. Napi stood up slowly, trying to gather his thoughts and keep calm under the suddenly oppressive air pushing in around him. He took a deep breath, focusing of Diana’s unique soul, one powerful and bright, but so sad and old at the same time, and let go.

\--

Diana’s first instinct was to run. She wanted to leave Themyscira, wanted to stop fighting, wanted a _break_. Diana did not was to see her aunt’s corpse lunging towards her, a familiar spear clutched in her rotting fingers. She did not want to fight the woman who died for Diana, the one that allowed her to understand what would be in store for her once she left her paradise island. Tears threatened to spill down Diana’s face, as Antiope’s body advance on her. The thing before her, it was not Antiope she would not tarnish her aunt’s memory by seeing that unbalanced frothing corpse as her anything but another enemy to subdue, let out a scream and ran at her, unbalanced and full of misplaced rage.

The creature stabbed Antiope’s prized weapon at her, aiming for Diana’s gut, aiming to maim and kill her sister’s only child. Diana should have attacked, should have subdued, should have done something other than stand there and watch as the spear came closer and closer to her armored stomach. Instead she let Antiope attack her; barely dodging the pointed tip, letting her aunt’s corpse slice her arms and legs when she was too slow to react. 

The child in Diana, the one who remembered her mother’s bedtime stories with awe and idolized every warrior on the island, screamed at Diana that this was her _aunt_ , someone who would never hurt her, someone who pushed her past her limits but was always there to clean up her wounds and ease her aching muscles. This was Antiope and Antiope would never willingly hurt her.

For just a moment, the world stopped. The fighting ceased, the screaming quieted, and Diana could hear her own thoughts. She turned to her aunt, the one who died for her, gasped out Diana’s destiny and set her on the path she was always meant to lead. The creature before her was not Antiope, no matter the amount of muscle memory or armor it wore; it was just a puppet. It was something Ares was using to distract her, to keep her busy and hurting. 

Diana may be hurting, but she was not a child entertained by the jangle of spare keys.

Backing away from the corpse, whispering apologies to the Antiope in Elysium, Diana readied her sword. Her heart beat in her ears and her eyes stung with unshed tears as she rushed the thing, ran it through and heard the thing shriek in Antiope’s voice. The ground shook with the force of it, or maybe it was just Diana trembling at the thought of killing someone so dear to her, as the corpse stopped scrabbling around its insides to stop the sluggish blood flow from its empty ribcage, tried to wrench the sword from its dying heart. Diana let out a sob, one of devastation at seeing her aunt’s memory being defiled as the creature screeched one last time, then turned its head to look at her. She was close enough to its face to see the smile creep up. The corpse’s soulless eyes blinked up at her and spoke in a quiet voice, “I didn’t think you had it in you, Diana, but you are _full_ of surprises, aren’t you?”

The island rumbled again, and this time Diana flinched away. Stumbling backwards and falling to the hard ground beneath her. That was Ares’ voice coming out of Antiope’s mouth. Antiope’s corpse staggered towards her, Diana’s sword falling to the ground behind her, “I wonder how well you’ll fare against someone a bit more, shall we say, alive?” Antiope’s arm jerked forwards, pointing over Diana’s head and into the chaos of the surrounding battle, “You’d better hurry, my dear. I spent a very long time creating this gift for you.”

Against her better judgement Diana turned away from the corpse in front of her, and into the distance. Her mother was there, in all her glory, beautiful in her deadliness and completely unaware of the assassin stalking her. Diana scrambled up, moving to warn her mother of the shadow slowly gaining ground on her, but a cold bony hand stopped her. Antiope’s stale breath ghosted over her ear as Ares hissed out, “You know, I can see why you fell for him. He’s quite a good soldier, and a noble one from what I’ve heard.” Antiope’s gripped tightened around her, as her other stretched towards the God-Killer, towards Steve Trevor, “Of course, all men can be broken, even good ones.” Antiope’s corpse stumbled away from Diana at that, the last of the strength in its reanimated heart giving way.

Diana ran from the corpse, grabbing her sword only as an afterthought, as she sprinted to her mother’s side. Even over the roaring in her ears, and the all-encompassing sound of her heart thudding away, she heard Ares yell one final thing to her, “Enjoy you gift Diana! I’m sure you’ll love it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: can i please write this chapter  
> Diana throwing a tank at my head: no
> 
> lol in all seriousness i had the literally worse case of writer's block i have ever had in my entire life like woooow three whole months of radio silence y i k e s. but u guys have to understand that i am in my junior year of high school so its been pretty hectic on my part with exams and plays and all that stuff no one wants to hear im super sorry to all of you who have subscribed to this and have kept up with this story i wasnt even aware people cared enough about my stupid fanfic to want emails to know when i update!! also shout out to all those people who kept commenting like my best guest who always has the best theories and ideas for me ur enthusiam for this story makes me want to be the best writer i can be also to a new commenter who has left multiple comments in a row on different chappies ilysm (also anon who messaged me on [tumblr](https://sugarplum-lane.tumblr.com/) u began this chapter journey so thx for that push)
> 
> no that that's out of the way im def gonna force myself to actually write the next chapter before the 1 year anniversary of godkillers!!! its so soon guys can you believe it??? anyway i love you all so much and would have never made it this far into this fic without all of ur wonderful comments and kudos see ya next time!!


	18. For the Safety of the People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein Diana has a date with destiny, and The Captain just so happens to be in the backseat.

Diana’s heart was in her throat, clogging up her lungs and beating against her ribs, as she raced to her mother. The sky darkened above, debating on which god to answer, crackling and shaking with each pound of her feet against the field. She wanted to yell, to beg Steve to stop and listen to her, let her explain that Ares was using him for his own selfish gain, tell him that she was here to help him. Her vision sharpened, zeroing in on the two figures circling each other, and Diana could see the signs of battle and fatigue on them, the bleeding cuts and shaking limbs as they circled each other, searching for a weak point. Electricity sparked between Diana’s bracelets, snapping against the cool metal and shooting sparks and burning embers onto the ground.

Steve’s back tensed, his shoulder hiking and hackles raising; she was close enough now to see his face go slack, eyes wide and glazed over, before a look of manic terror and angry took over and he ran at her mother. Steve threw himself into every attack, his sword moving with a force that almost seemed inhuman and had her mother struggling to defend against. Hippolyta had always seemed omnipotent to Diana, knowing the exact moment she had run from another tutor or wandered too far from home, but the look of shock and fear that crossed her face for even a second, had Diana begging the gods to grant her the swiftness of Hermes.

Hippolyta dodged a swipe of the Steve’s sword, and, using her momentum, kicked her leg up and into his chest. Diana saw Steve stumble from the force, but it almost seemed like he couldn’t quite recognize the pain as he continued to viciously attack her mother single-mindedly. Again, Hippolyta ducked under Steve’s sword and stabbed her own through the already bloodied side of his armor, reopening the wound and forcing a sluggish blood flow to drip onto the stained ground.

As Diana neared the fight, eyes scanning frantically for a way to safely enter and protect Hippolyta, she could see the distress on her mother’s face as a drop of Steve’s blood splattered on her sword. Before she could dwell on that though, the tinge of Steve’s voice pulled her away. She couldn’t help herself when she began to examine the bruises on his face and the way his eyes darted around as if he were seeing more than the woman in front of him, nor could she stop the way her heart ached at the sight of him in such a state. The mumbles coming out of Steve’s mouth became almost a whisper, something desperate and anxious, which immediately put Diana on edge, “It’s for my own good. It’s for my own good. It’s for my own good.”

Then he lunged.

\--

The target was a formidable opponent; the loud screeching of metal grinding against metal and the dull throb of a cracked rib could attest to that. She was fierce and wise in her attacks, the ease with which she held her herself, even battered and bleeding, told of years and years of training. Her armor gleamed in the light of the island sun, and the Captain could feel her gaze on him, searching and searching for something not there. The target’s mouth moved, her blue eyes blazing and sword readied as she stalked towards him.

The Captain tensed as they began circling each other, the target keeping herself just out of reach, but close enough to attack at any moment. She pointed her sword at him, dried blood stained it in tiny patterns, a reminder of the damage she had already inflicted upon him. The air shifted bringing the faint scent of spilt blood and electricity with it. A shock of terror shot down the Captain's spine, vision whiting out as his mind began to replay memories of his time in the chamber. He could feel the sharp phantom pain of lightning striking him, coursing through his veins in unending agony; could feel muscle memory kick in as his mind fell further and further into old snapshots of pain and torture.

_“You know I’m doing this for your own good, right?” War’s hand caressed the side of his face, a cold indifference set on his face as he stared down at the heaving mess keeling before him. The Captain kept his eyes on the ground, focusing on not vomiting on War’s clean shoes or, even worse, blacking out. The hand on his face, almost painfully hot to the touch, roughly grabbed him by his chin and pulled him to his feet. “You will answer when I ask you a question, boy! I want you to be strong, want you to be able to survive a fight with something smarter than the pathetic creatures I send you to.” War’s eyes held a fire in them that made them look more like burning coal than anything even remotely human._

_The Captain’s bruised and cracked ribs screamed in protest as War forced him into a standing position. His other hand snaked around the wrist the Captain had been favoring and squeezed until tears threatened to fall, “Say it.” The Captain’s vision to fade, his mind too preoccupied with the creaking sound the bones in his wrist was making to do more than let out a few muffled whines. War leaned in close to his face, whispering into his ears with barely restrained rage, “I would think that by now you would know what happens when you disobey me, boy. Now stay still, and repeat after me.” War began to push his wrist backwards, pushing slowly and painfully until-_

The muffled sound of the target’s grunt of pain pushed him out of his memories. Light headed and dazed the stood up, feeling the ache in his bones and several new fresh wounds on his body. The target, panting and grimacing in pain, stared up at him. The Captain’s fist was wrapped around her throat, the jagged edge of his sword poised to pierce her heart, to rip it out and bring it to War. The Captain took a steadying breath, breaking the chain of words muttered words flowing from his mouth, and raised the sword.

Then the world upended itself.

Something barreled into him, something screaming and smelling faintly of the ozone, and threw him to the ground. His attacker, dressed in reds and blues that made his head ache, wrestled his sword from his heads, tossing it away before he could gather his bearings, then turned from him and yelled out to the rest of the warriors. The Captain took his chance and kicked the woman off of him, scrambling off the ground and towards the target who was being helped up by another woman. The Captain stood quickly, and charged the target and her protector. 

She was already weak, he could see the way she favored her rights side, could smell the blood dripping down her forearms. He had already bested her, knew where to attack and what she was able to do. The Captain rammed into the protector, picking her up by the throat and throwing her far away, then slammed the target back to the ground. He pinned her there, saw the defiance in her eyes even as he heard the sigh of defeat from her lips, then drew his pistol and took aim. He could hear his attacker and the protector moving near, was aware of all their movements as he pushed the cold barrel of the gun between the target’s eyes. His finger brushed the trigger. 

_“Ah, Captain, I have a new assignment for you.”_ The Captain stopped, felt time slow down just the slightest, _“The woman who attacked you? She has made a nuisance of herself recently, and it would be lovely if you could bring her heart to me. Now go.”_

The Captain stood up. Head snapping in the new target’s direction. The woman backed away, but a determined glint in her eyes told him that it was not in fear. He bent down the ground, picked up his sword, then readied himself for another fight. The target whispered something to the protector, who looked between them with darting eyes, then ran to the previous target’s aid.

The woman opened her mouth, yelling out something and gesturing back and forth, her face set in an emotion he had never seen. Most of the previous targets, blurry faces and names from grimy files over years of nothingness, had only shown him one emotion: fear. He could always see it in the way their eyes dilated, the way their legs shook and their voices trembled as they realized that he had backed them into a corner. Sometimes, if he tried hard enough, he could hear more than the tinge of their voices as they begged for mercy, offering money and luxury, anything to make the image of death looming over them leave.

The new target’s face did not show fear, nor did it show the gritty determination to fight fate and live another day. Hers was soft. Warm eyes gazing at him with a hard but reluctant set, pleading with him to obey her wishes. Her hands, calloused and tensed, were outstretched, like the distance between them made her physically ache. She took a step closer, beckoning him towards her, the expression on her face was incomprehensible and made his heart beat faster at the sight.

A quiet voice, broken and defeated, told him that none of this mattered. This was his last mission, his last reason to continue on, and an instinctive part of him knew that War would be waiting for him after this. Waiting for him to return to that cold and deathly quiet village to rot for eternity. That voice was quickly drowned out, thought, but a much more familiar voice, one that sound like War and commanded him to attack, to fight and destroy the woman in front of him because she meant something to War and that was enough reason to rip her beating heart from her chest.

War’s interest in the new target, the rage that quivered through his voice at the mention of her, was unlike him. For as long as The Captain had known War he was always callously detached; whether in seeing The Captain defeat his enemies, or punishing him for not living up to expectations, War always kept a frighteningly cool demeanor. He only ever displayed rage or satisfaction, and never as much as when the target had shown up. The Captain wondered what it was about this woman that demanded such a reaction.

The Captain’s head shot up, his thoughts, all of them, came to a screeching halt. Eyes locking on to the target, scanning her body and searching for signs of weakness, The Captain advanced. The target yelled out something desperate, a final attempt at something The Captain could not comprehend, before she steeled her face and readied for the fight. Static built in his ears, forcing the human part of his mind in the furthest recess burying it under decades of training, torture, and the all-encompassing smell of the ozone.

\--

Diana felt more than saw the first blow. It was inhuman in nature, strong enough to force the breath out of her lungs throw her to the ground. Diana wondered what exactly Ares had done to Steve for all those years, wondered how he kept him alive and granted him such raw power. She twisted away from the burnt blade of the God-Killer, narrowly avoiding losing an eye, before she climbed to her feet, and charged.

Her first blow was blocked, the God-Killer held up incredibly well against Diana’s own sword, but with a quick side-step and turn, left Steve on the ground. It hurt her to hurt him, to have to subdue the wild animal that had taken over the once sweet man that was Steve Trevor; Diana knew though, that allowing someone as dangerous as Steve too close to her would only leave Themyscira defenseless against Ares. Calloused hands dug in her hips, flinger her to the side, where she just had enough time to throw up her arms against the sword slamming down against them. Sparks showered down on Diana, the sound of screeching metal sounded distantly in her ears as she stared up into Steve’s eyes.

They were blank, completely dead, the blue expanse she had dreamed about for years and had haunted her for decades, gazed at her with no emotion. Even as his face filled with rage, as his muscled strained against hers, he wasn’t present. She wondered how long it took for his mind to leave him all together, for his body to take over and fight anything on sight.

It made her sick to her stomach.

Diana heaved up her legs, and kicked Steve away from her, he skidded to a halt, and looked up at her. He was bleeding from a head wound, and was obviously tired from the previous fight with her mother, but he still advanced on her, heaving his chest and waiting for an opening. Diana ran at him, her sword coming down on him, using her free hand to punch him in the face, before snatching the God-Killer from him, and sweeping him off of his feet. She threw the jagged old sword as far as she could, but not before she was lifted off over Steve’s shoulder and slammed into the ground. 

Diana’s head crashed against the harsh stone of the craggy cliffs, felt sticky golden red blood mat her hair, and stars danced across her vision. Steve puncher her in the face, his bruised and bloody knuckles bashing against her cheek, once, twice, three times before Diana gathered herself and flipped them over. Steve was bleeding heavily now, from the cuts on his arms and legs, to the oddly sparkling blood sluggishly flowing into his eyes. She slammed her fists into his chest, hoping to knock him out, to spare him from experiencing anymore pain from her, but all it did was make him bite through his tongue. 

Steve grabbed her by the throat and pushed her away; he hobbled to his feet, swaying slightly before violently shaking his head. The cold stone scrapped at her bare thighs, as Diana rolled to a stop. Her chest heaved with adrenaline and fear, not for herself, never for herself, but for Steve, she could see the toll this battle was taking on him, could hear his heart beating much too quickly for even an enhanced human. Diana needed a plan, needed a way to keep Steve safe without putting herself in danger as well. 

The sound of the ocean waves pounding against the shoreline filled her ears, the sounds of home calmed her, asking her to allow fate to take its course, just this once. Diana wondered why the Fates always seemed to ask her to let go of Steve. Forced her to beg and scream for just one more chance only to present it so cruelly, then rip it away. It was unfair, and torturous to know she had no choice but to allow Steve to fight his way to exhaustion or simply kill her. Diana wanted to scream, as she watched Steve, the man who taught that humanity was more than its flaws, rammed his entire being into her, sending them tumbling through the air and over the cliff side.

As they fell, spinning around each other in harmonious cacophony, a soft voice, barely legible over the whistling wind, whispered in her ears, _‘Do not worry, fair hero, I will watch over him while you fulfill your destiny…’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live to disappoint :/ BUT STEVE TREVOR IS ALIVE! I PREDICTED THE FUTURE AND AM L I V I N G RN ugh im so excited for ww1980 but also this chapter i hope the fighting wasnt too boring i really have a tough time with that stuff so sorry in advance if its hot garbage :/ cause we are Nearing the End yall like two or three more chappies tops. also happy one year to everyone who has stuck with me through everything i love you all <333333


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